Separatist militants in Pakistan's Balochistan hijacked a passenger train carrying around 400 passengers on Tuesday following a shootout and took all the passengers hostage. The militants warned that they would execute all the hostages if a military operation was carried out.
The militants, in a statement, claimed to have taken control of the Jaffar Express train after derailing it, and hundreds of passengers, including security personnel, had been taken hostage.
Six military personnel were killed in the incident, according to the statement by the militants. The Baloch officials or the railways are yet to confirm the casualties and the status of the hostages.
Pak security forces have reached the site of the incident and an intense counteroperation is underway.
The Jaffar Express was travelling from Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it came under fire, railway officials told Reuters.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group seeking autonomy for the region, claimed that the hostages they took are Pakistani military personnel and members of other security agencies.
"Amongst the hostages are active-duty personnel from the Pakistani military, police, Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF), and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)--all of whom were travelling to Punjab on leave," the statement said.
"The BLA issues a clear warning that if the occupying forces attempt any military operation, the consequences will be severe. All hundreds of hostages will be executed, and the responsibility for this bloodshed will lie solely with the occupying forces," their statement said.
The militants, however, claimed that they have released women, children, and Baloch passengers, ensuring that all remaining hostages are serving personnel of the Pakistani forces.
The provincial government has imposed emergency measures, and all institutions have been mobilised to deal with the situation, government spokesperson Shahid Rind said.
The attack comes days after various Baloch resistance groups advocating for Balochistan's independence from Pakistan announced a new intensified offensive against Pakistan and China and announced a unified outfit named the Baloch National Army.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has been grappling with years of insurgency, and has recently witnessed several terrorist attacks. In the latest incident on March 5, an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the Khuzdar district killed five people and injured five others.
