Page 3 - Balochistan

21 passengers, 4 soldiers, 33 militants killed as Pak army ends hijack op

Twenty-one passengers and four paramilitary soldiers were killed by militants holding hostages after seizing control of a train in Balochistan, an army general said on Wednesday. Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif told Dunya News TV that security forces killed all 33 militants present at the scene. "The armed forces successfully concluded the operation in the (Wednesday) evening by killing all terrorists and rescuing all passengers safely, Lt Gen Sharif said. He said that 21 passengers were killed by the terrorists when they attacked the train on Tuesday. He added that four paramilitary Frontier Corps soldiers were also killed in the incident. "The forces killed all 33 terrorists and secured the release of hostages, he said. The Jaffar Express, carrying some 400 passengers in nine coaches, was going from Quetta to Peshawar when militants derailed it using explosives and hijacked it near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri in a tunnel 160 kilometres from Quetta. The

Decoded: Baloch separatists and why they seek freedom from Pakistan

The Balochistan Liberation Army contends that Balochistan was forcibly annexed by Pakistan in 1948 against the will of its people, a claim central to its ongoing fight for independence

Baloch militants claim killing 50 hostages from Pakistan train hijacking

Government officials say 190 of them have been rescued so far. The militants say all the passengers detained are security officials and all civilians have been freed

Why ex-Balochistan CM Akhtar Mengal thinks Pakistan has lost the province

Former Balochistan CM Akhtar Mengal has declared that Pakistan has lost control over Balochistan, blaming state oppression and rising insurgency for the crisis

Watch: Moment Baloch separatists hijacked Jaffar Express in Pakistan

Pakistan train hijack: Pakistani security forces have successfully rescued over 150 passengers so far

Pakistan train hijack: 27 separatists killed, 155 passengers rescued

The Jaffar Express, carrying 400 passengers, was enroute from Quetta to Peshawar when Balochistan Liberation Army militants intercepted it in a tunnel near the terrains of Gudalar and Piru Kunri

UN chief condemns Pakistan train hijacking, calls for release of hostages

UN Secretary-General Antonio has strongly condemned the hijacking of a train in Pakistan's Balochistan province and voiced concern about persons taken hostage, calling for their immediate release. The UN Chief stressed that attacks against civilians are unacceptable. The Secretary-General strongly condemns the hijacking of a train in Pakistan's Balochistan province, a statement issued by his spokesman Stphane Dujarric said. Guterres is deeply concerned about the persons taken hostage and calls for their immediate release, the statement added. Suspected Baloch gunmen opened fire at a passenger train in Pakistan's restive Balochistan on Tuesday. 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 secu

16 terrorists killed, 104 passengers rescued in Pakistan train attack

At least 13 terrorists were killed and 80 passengers rescued by security forces after suspected Baloch militants hijacked a train in a tunnel in Pakistan's restive Balochistan's province on Tuesday, security officials said. The Jaffar Express, carrying approximately 500 passengers in nine bogies, was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when armed men intercepted it in a tunnel near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday morning. Security officials said so far they have killed 13 terrorists and rescued 80 passengers. The rescue operation is underway, they said. Earlier, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said, The security forces have managed to rescue 80 passengers -- 43 men, 26 women and 11 children -- from a bogie." 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

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

Passenger train in Pakistan 'hijacked' by Baloch separatists, many injured

While the local government acknowledged the attack on the Jaffar Express, a Baloch separatist group claimed that it had hijacked the train and taken 120 passengers hostage

Four killed, five injured in market blast in Pakistan's Balochistan

At least four people were killed and five others injured on Wednesday in an explosion in a market in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, officials said. An improvised explosive device (IED) was attached to a motorbike which was parked in the Naal Bazaar of Khuzdar, according to police. Naal police Station House Officer (SHO) Bahawal Khan Pindrani in a media interaction confirmed the casualties, saying that the condition of one of the injured was serious. Khuzdar Senior Superintendent of Police Javed Zehri said that some vehicles were also destroyed in the blast. Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the blast in a statement, adding that orders were issued to provide the injured with the best medical care available. Terrorism will be eradicated in all its forms, Bugti was quoted as saying. Elements hostile to peace will fail in their nefarious objectives and those involved in this incident will be brought to justice. Balochistan has been braving viol

Pak army chief visits Balochistan after 18 security personnel killed

Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir visited Balochistan on Saturday amid clashes in the restive province in which 18 security personnel and 23 terrorists have been killed in the last 24 hours, according to a media report. The army chief was given a comprehensive brief on the prevailing security situation in the province which was also attended by senior security and intelligence officials, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. The army chief along with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail offered prayers at the funeral of the slain soldiers and also visited the injured soldiers in the Combined Military Hospital Quetta, according to the Pakistan military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). No matter what these so-called frenemies' may do, you will surely be defeated by the resilience of our proud nation and its armed forces, Gen Munir said. The COAS also appreciated the efforts of the valiant officer

Militants hit Pak minister, police officer's homes in Balochistan

Armed militants attacked the residences of a senior minister and a deputy commissioner and stormed a police checkpost in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, police said. A senior police official said armed militants attacked the residence of Balochistan Minister for Finance and Mineral Resources Mir Shoaib Nosherwani with a hand grenade in his native town of Kharan late on Thursday night. The armed men came on motorcycles and drove away after hurling the hand grenade, he said. No casualty has been reported in the incident, he said. In a similar incident, the militants attacked the residence of the Kalat deputy commissioner with a hand grenade on Thursday night, injuring one police constable on duty at the gate. In the third incident, the armed militants attacked the police checkpost in Mastung town on Thursday night and set fire to machinery and equipment of a cement factory in the vicinity before escaping the scene, authorities said. A police official confirmed the attack t

47 personnel killed, 30 injured in attack on Pak army convoy in Turbat

In a statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that the attack took place in the Behman area, which is located some eight kilometres from Turbat city

4 killed, 32 injured as Baloch militants bomb passenger bus in Pakistan

Four people were killed and 32 injured when the banned separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) outfit bombed a passenger bus in the restive Balochistan province of Pakistan on Saturday. The blast in the New Bahman area of Turbat city took place when an improvised explosive device detonated near the bus from Karachi to Turbat. A senior police official said 4 bodies and 32 injured have been moved to the nearest hospital. Exact details of the blast are being investigated but a police official said high-ranking police officer SSP Zohaib Mohsin was in the bus along with his family and could have been the target, he said. The senior police official and his family were part of a wedding party on the bus. Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister for Balochistan province, condemned the attack. Those who target innocent people do not deserve to be called human beings, he said. A separatist group called the Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the blast but gave higher casualty

Explosion in southwestern Pakistan kills one person, 35 injured

A blast from an improvised explosive device killed one person and wounded 35 others on Saturday in Pakistan's southwestern city of Turbat, a police official said. Footage from the scene showed vehicles moving through the city before an explosion and flames engulfed one of them. Police officer Roshan Baloch said that eight of the wounded were in critical condition, and that the rest were stable. Most of the casualties are soldiers. The device was in a car parked on the side of the road and was detonated remotely, Baloch added. The chief minister for Balochistan province, Sarfraz Bugti, condemned the attack. Those who target innocent people do not deserve to be called human beings, he said. A separatist group called the Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the blast, but gave higher casualty figures. It also said the IED targeted a military convoy. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province but the least populated. It's also a hub for the country's ethnic Baloch minor

Pakistan govt to implement steps to stop terrorists from using social media

Pakistan government on Tuesday said it will take comprehensive steps to curb the activities of banned terrorist organisations from operating on social media platforms. During a meeting of the National Action Plan (NAP) Coordination Committee, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the government will work to block the accounts of terrorist groups. Provinces are also expected to implement a cohesive strategy to prevent the usage of illegal SIM cards. Naqvi strongly condemned the recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, calling them "deeply regrettable and condemnable". He said to counter terrorism, the professional capabilities of Counter Terrorism Forces (CTFs) in these regions will be enhanced through full cooperation. The minister said efforts to strengthen law enforcement agencies such as the police and the Frontier Constabulary would be prioritised to improve security. "To imp

Karachi attack: Sindh govt forms interrogation team to probe 2 suspects

Authorities in Pakistan's Sindh province have set up a joint interrogation team (JIT) to probe two suspects who allegedly facilitated last month's suicide attack on a Chinese convoy near Karachi Airport in October. The suicide attack on October 6 claimed the lives of two Chinese engineers and one Pakistani national, straining ties between Pakistan and China. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack and police registered a first information report (FIR) against leaders of the BLA and others three days after the incident. The Dawn newspaper reported on Saturday that the JIT was formed by the Sindh Home Department to probe the two suspects arrested during an intelligence-based operation earlier this month. One of the masterminds of the suicide bombing, Muhammad Javed alias Sameer, and his accomplice Gul Nisa were arrested at CD Highway near Umar Goth Chowk in Karachi while riding a bike. According to a notification issued by Home Department Additional Ch

Pakistan to launch comprehensive operation against militants in Balochistan

Pakistan decided to launch a comprehensive operation against militants in the southwestern province of Balochistan after a series of deadly attacks. The participants of the Federal Apex Committee of the National Action Plan on Tuesday approved a comprehensive military operation, said a statement. The target of the blitz would be the leading terrorist organisations operating in Balochistan including the Majeed Brigade, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), and Balochistan Raaji Anjou-R-Sanger (BRAS) who targeted innocent civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan's economic progress by creating insecurity at the behest of hostile external powers. It was decided during a meeting headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by senior civil and military officials, including Army Chief General Asim Munir. The participants of the meeting, which focused on Reinvigorating Pakistan's Counter Terrorism (CT) Campaign, were briefed on the evolv

At least 7 dead, 10 injured in attack on security check post in Balochistan

At least seven people, including security personnel, are feared dead and 10 others injured in a deadly attack on a security check post in the restive Balochistan province on Saturday. Following the attack, details of which are awaited, there are widespread complaints from different parts of Balochistan about disrupted internet services. Geo News channel reported seven people were killed in the attack and 10 others injured in Kalat district of Balochistan. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. However, neither the provincial government nor any senior law enforcement official have come out with any statement. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) confirmed that mobile internet services have been temporarily suspended in certain areas of Balochistan, citing public safety concerns amidst a recent surge in terrorist attacks. The PTA statement explained that the decision followed directives from relevant authorities and was implemen