Overview

• Pakistani forces concluded a high-stakes operation to rescue over 300 hostages from a train hijacked by Baloch Liberation Army militants in Balochistan.
• The attack, which began with explosives derailing the Jaffer Express, resulted in at least 33 militants killed and 21 passengers dead, according to official reports.
• The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility, demanding the release of political prisoners and accusing the government of exploiting the region's resources.
• The hijackers, some wearing suicide vests, used hostages as human shields, complicating rescue efforts that involved snipers and helicopter support.
• The incident underscores decades-long tensions in Balochistan, where separatist groups have waged an insurgency for greater autonomy and control over natural resources.