Quetta: Militants have attacked the Jaffar Express train in the Bolan Pass area of Balochistan, taking passengers hostage, according to military sources. The train, which was en route from Quetta to Peshawar, was ambushed on Tuesday afternoon.
Sources report that the attackers halted the train at a tunnel in the Dhadar area and took passengers hostage, including women and children. While the exact number of hostages remains unclear, railway officials in Quetta confirmed that over 400 passengers were aboard the train.
Bolan is a rugged and mountainous region stretching over 100 kilometers between Quetta and Sibi where the railway line, in this area, have 17 tunnels, and due to the difficult terrain, trains travel at reduced speeds, making them vulnerable to attacks.
This is not the first attack on railway infrastructure in Balochistan, where previous incidents involved rocket or remote-controlled bomb attacks on train tracks. However, this is the first known instance of militants stopping a train and taking hostages.
Military sources confirmed that security forces have surrounded the area and launched a clearance operation, which will continue until the militants are neutralized.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that all the hostages are government employees, including security personnel and law enforcement officials.
According to Human Online sources, clashes between separatists and security forces are ongoing, with aerial operations also being carried out in the area.
Social media accounts linked to the BLA claim that a large number of security personnel were aboard the train and have been taken hostage. The militants have demanded that security forces halt their operation and retreat; otherwise, they have threatened to execute the hostages.
Railway authorities state that communication with the train crew is impossible due to the absence of mobile and telephone networks in the area where the attack occurred.
