Pakistan train hijack: BLA kills 6, takes 100+ security personnel hostage

The group claimed that all civilian passengers (out of the total 450) - including women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens - were released unharmed and provided with a safe passage

Hours after hijacking a Peshawar-bound train, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Tuesday evening issued a statement claiming responsibility for taking over 100 hostages. However, it stated that all civilian passengers (out of the total 450) — including women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens — were released unharmed and provided with a safe passage.  

 

According to the group, six Pakistani security personnel have been killed in heavy clashes, and a drone was shot down. The hostages reportedly include serving members of the Pakistani Army, police, ISI, and ATIF, who were travelling while on leave. The BLA has warned that it will execute the remaining hostages if military operations against them persist.

 

 

BLA further claimed that among the hostages are active-duty personnel from the Pakistan Army, Police, ISI, and ATF, all of whom were travelling on leave.   Late in the evening, Pakistan's security forces rescued 80 passengers, according to a government spokesperson.   

“The security forces have managed to rescue 80 passengers -- 43 men, 26 women and 11 children -- from a bogie," Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said. 

However, around 400 passengers remained on the train, still trapped inside the tunnel as security forces engaged in a gun battle with the militants, he said. 

Rind said rescue teams have been dispatched amid reports of “intense” firing at the Peshawar-bound passenger train.

   

 

Earlier, Railway officials confirmed that the train's driver sustained serious injuries, and an emergency relief train has been dispatched to assist.

 

Meanwhile, 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.

 

Jaffer Express hijacked

 

Earlier in the day, Balochistan Liberation Army opened fire on an express train in Pakistan's Balochistan province. The attack on the Jaffer Express passenger train took place near Ab-e-Gum area of Mach Town in Balochistan's Kachhi district, where around six armed men opened fire on the train. Several passengers have been wounded in the attack. The train was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No 8, said security authorities.

 

“BLA fighters remain in full control of the Jaffar express,” said Balochistan Liberation Army. In a stern warning, Jeeyand Baloch, spokesperson for the Balochistan Liberation Army, said, "If the aerial bombardment is not halted immediately, then all 100 plus hostages will be executed within the next hour." 

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, as reported by PTI. 

"Targeting innocent passengers and endangering their lives is a cowardly and brutal act," Gandapur said.

 

BLA's past attacks

 

This is not the first time that Baloch militants have targeted the railway tracks. In the past also, they have used rockets or remote-controlled bombs for carrying out attack on railways.

 

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.

 

In recent times, Balochistan has witnessed an uptick in militant attacks over past years. 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, has a long history of violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups frequently carry out attacks targeting Pakistan's security personnel, government projects and the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the oil and mineral-rich province. 

Who are the BLA?  

 

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) alleges that the Pakistani government forcibly integrated Balochistan into the country in March 1948 by compelling the region’s former ruler, the Khan of Kalat, to sign the instrument of accession.  

 

Recognised as a terrorist organisation by both the United States and Pakistan, the BLA has waged an armed insurgency for decades, advocating for the independence of Balochistan, a province rich in natural resources.  

 

The group accuses Pakistan’s central government of exploiting the region’s oil and mineral wealth while the ethnic Baloch population faces economic hardship and discrimination. Meanwhile, security forces combating the insurgency have been accused of human rights violations, including enforced disappearances.