Karachi/Islamabad, Mar 11: Suspected Baloch gunmen opened fire at a passenger train in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan on Tuesday, injuring several passengers, and claimed to have taken over 100 people hostages.
Jaffar Express, with around 500 passengers on board in nine coaches, was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa when it was fired upon between Gudalaar and Piru Koneri, according to officials.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed it seized control of the train by derailing it. The group said it had killed six security personnel and taken over 100 people in custody, including security personnel.
However, the Pakistani authorities did not comment on the group’s claim.
The fate of passengers, including women and children, was not immediately known.
In a statement, the BLA warned that if the Pakistan military launches an operation, “all hostages will be executed”. The group is banned in Pakistan, the UK and the US.
Official data on casualties was not available, but security sources said that the train driver and several passengers were injured in the gunfire.
“There are reports of intense firing at a Jaffar Express, which was heading from Quetta to Peshawar, between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar,” Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said.
Rescue teams and security forces reached the scene, and an operation was underway to track down the assailants, officials said.
An emergency was declared in the local hospitals.
Security sources said that the operation will continue till the elimination of the last terrorist. They said the operation is complicated due to the difficult terrain.
Railway officials confirmed that the train’s driver sustained serious injuries, and an emergency relief train has been dispatched to assist.
Controller Railways Muhammad Kashif said that the train, comprising nine coaches, had around 500 passengers on board.
“The train was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No 8,” the controller said.
There are 17 tunnels in this area on the railway line and due to the difficult terrain, the speed of the train is often slow.
The Balochistan government directed local authorities to take “emergency measures”.
A provincial government statement said an emergency was imposed at Sibi hospital.
Citing security sources, Geo News reported that the train was stopped after a portion of the track was blown up by the terrorists, who opened fire on the engine, injuring the driver.
Security officials present on the train and the attackers exchanged fire, they said, adding that the terrorists then took control of the train in a tunnel.
Sources said that no contact could be immediately made with the train crew due to the lack of mobile and telephone networks at the location of the attack.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the incident, saying: “The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur strongly condemned the attack on the train and expressed concern over the hostage-taking of passengers by the terrorists.
“Targeting innocent passengers and endangering their lives is a cowardly and brutal act,” Gandapur said.
In the past, the railway tracks in this area have been attacked by Baloch militants using rockets or remote-controlled bombs, and the BLA claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.
In October last year, Pakistan Railways announced the restoration of train services between Quetta and Peshawar after a suspension of more than a month and a half.
Balochistan has witnessed an uptick in terrorist attacks over the past year. In November 2024, at least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide blast ripped through a Quetta Railway Station.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups frequently carry out attacks targeting security personnel, government projects and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the oil and mineral-rich province. (PTI)
