Armed militants have taken over 450 train passengers hostage and wounded the train driver in an attack on Tuesday in Pakistan’s volatile southwestern Balochistan province.
The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the assault, stating that gunmen bombed the railway track and took control of the Jaffer Express train in the remote Sibi district.
Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway government official, confirmed that over 450 passengers onboard are being held hostage by the gunmen. The train remains stuck just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains, making it easier for militants to have hideouts and plan attacks.
This incident is the latest in a series of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. In November 2024, a suicide bombing at Quetta railway station killed 32 people and injured 62 others. The country has been grappling with Islamist militancy for years, particularly in the northwestern region along the Afghanistan border.
The insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa began in 2004 and has resulted in thousands of casualties. The Pakistani military has launched several operations to combat terrorism, including Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, which was launched in 2017 to consolidate gains made in previous campaigns.
The current situation is developing, and authorities are working to resolve the hostage situation.
