QUETTA, Pakistan: Separatist militants blew up a railway track and opened fire on a passenger train in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday (Mar 11), taking dozens of hostages and battling security forces conducting a rescue operation, police and the insurgents said.
Police have not specified how many passengers were taken hostage in the remote mountainous area but the insurgents said they were holding 214 people, and have threatened to start executing them.
“The affected train is still on the spot and the armed men are holding passengers,” senior district police officer Rana Dilawar said.
“Security forces launched a massive operation,” he said, adding that helicopters and special forces had been deployed.
The train was trapped in a tunnel and the driver was killed after sustaining serious injuries, local authorities, police and railway officials said.
The Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist militant group, said it blew up the tracks and “swiftly took control of the train”. The group said it would execute 10 people in response to the ongoing military operation.
The BLA has demanded the release within 48 hours of Baloch political prisoners, activists and missing persons, it said had been abducted by the military.
“BLA is prepared for a prisoner exchange,” the group said.
“If our demands are not met within the stipulated period or if the occupying state attempts any military action during this time all prisoners of war will be neutralised and the train will be completely destroyed.”
The group, which seeks independence for Balochistan province bordering both Afghanistan and Iran, said the hostages included Pakistan Army members and other security officials travelling on leave.
Dilawar said some of the militants had taken a group of around 35 hostages into the mountains while others were still holding the locomotive. He had previously said that over 300 hostages were safe but security officials have since announced that 104 people have been rescued so far.
Security forces said an explosion had been heard near the tunnel and that they were exchanging fire with the militants in a mountainous area.
A security source who asked not to be identified said many people had lost their lives in the attack, adding that 80 military personnel were among the 425 passengers aboard the train.
Another security source said 104 passengers had been rescued, 17 wounded taken to hospital and 16 militants had been killed, adding the rest were surrounded.
“The operation will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated,” they said.
The BLA said it has not suffered any casualties. It said it had killed 30 soldiers and shot down a drone. There was no confirmation of that from Pakistani authorities.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying security officials were “repelling” the militants.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/insurgents-take-dozens-hostages-train-attack-southwestern-pakistan-4992916
