Pak Security Forces Rescue 104 Hostages From Hijacked train, 16 Baloch Militants Killed — Updates
Pakistani security forces have said that 16 BLA rebels have been killed in the ongoing gunfight and that over 100 passengers were rescued since the train was attacked on Tuesday.
More than 100 passengers have been rescued by the Pakistani security forces after armed Baloch militants hijacked a passenger train carrying around 400 passengers in Pakistan's restive balochistan province on Tuesday. At least 16 terrorists have been killed in the gunfight with the security forces. The balochistan Liberation army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the train attack.
Here's what has happened so far
Security forces rescued 104 hostages from the Jaffar Express, which was hijacked on tuesday afternoon while it was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. The train was intercepted by armed men in a tunnel near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri.
The rescued passengers include 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children, who have been sent to Mach (a town in Kachhi district in the balochistan province of Pakistan) by another train.
Meanwhile, the separatist militants have claimed that they were holding 214 people and have also threatened to start executing them. They also said that they would execute 10 people in response to the ongoing military operation, Reuters reported.
The gunfight between the security forces and the Baloch rebels continued overnight. "In the gun battle, which is still going on, 16 militants have been killed and many others injured," news agency PTI reported citing a source. The report said that the clean-up operation will continue until all passengers are rescued from the hijacked Jaffar Express.
The BLA, on the other hand, said it has not suffered any casualties. Instead, it claimed to have killed 30 soldiers and shot down a drone, Reuters reported.
A group of militants are believed to have taken some of the passengers into the mountains and were being followed by the security forces. "The militants have now formed small groups to try to escape in the dark, but the security forces have surrounded the tunnel and the remaining passengers will also be rescued soon," PTI sources said.
As per the Reuters report, senior district police officer Rana Dilawar said, the militants had taken a group of around 35 hostages into the mountains while others were still holding the locomotive.
Balochistan government spokesperson shahid said that the security forces, including military troops, reached the rough mountainous terrain shortly after they received information of the attack by the rebels.
Rind said that the security forces had earlier managed to rescue 80 passengers, including 43 men, 26 women, and 11 children.
The Baloch rebels blew up the railway tracks, which forced the train to come to a halt in a tunnel. They reportedly killed the locomotive driver. The pakistan media also reported intense firing and explosion near the tunnel, where the train came under attack.
The BLA has demanded that the Baloch political prisoners and missing people, who they claim have been abducted by the military, be released within 48 hours, failing which they would "completely destroy" the train.
Pakistan Railways have set up an emergency desk at the Peshawar and Quetta Railway stations for those trying to get information about their loved ones on the train.
Rana Muhammad Dilawar, district police officer said that there were around four to five government officials on the train, PTI reported. However, a security source told Reuters that there were 80 military personnel aboard the train.
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