Yesterday The Baloch Liberation Army attacked on Pakistan Jaffar Express and hijacked around 500 people inside in southwestern Pakistan’s Balochistan. Now news is coming that security forces informed that 16 militants were killed and 104 passengers were rescued. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for derailing the train, asserting that they had seized control, killed 30 security personnel, and taken 214 passengers, including active-duty personnel, as hostages, according to the Reuters reports.
The Balock Liberation Army after taking responsiblity of attack demanded freedom of Balochistan political prisoners, activists and missing persons abducted by the Pakistani army otherwise they will execute all hostages. The train was targeted while traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, when it got trapped in a tunnel and gunmen opened fire, killing the train driver, according to Reuters.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying security officials were “repelling” the militants. Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, strongly condemned the attack, calling the militants “beasts” for targeting innocent passengers. In response Pakistani security forces engaged in an exchange of fire with militants as efforts were made to contain the situation and rescue the passengers.