The Jaffar Express, carrying around 400 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 afternoon.
BLA demands release of Baloch activists
In the meantime, the BLA has given a 48-hour ultimatum for a prisoner exchange, demanding the release of Baloch political prisoners in exchange for the 214 hostages it is holding.
In a latest statement, the BLA called the Pakistani government an “occupying state” and listed its demands. “BLA has maintained complete control of the train and all hostages for the past eight hours. Under the rules of war, these 214 hostages are considered prisoners of war and BLA is prepared for a prisoner exchange. The occupying state of Pakistan is given 48 hours to immediately and unconditionally release Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons and national resistance activists,” the statement said.
BLA claims responsibility for train hijack
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) later claimed claimed responsibility for the attack. Security sources confirmed that in an ongoing gun battle with the militants they managed to rescue 104 passengers, including women and children.
“In the gun battle, which is still going on, 16 militants have been killed and many others injured," one source told PTI and added the clean up operation will continue until all passengers are rescued from the train.
The other militants are said to have taken some of the passengers into the mountains with the security forces pursuing them in the dark.
The source said that the passengers rescued, including 58 men, 31 women and 15 children, have been sent to Mach (a town in Kachhi district in Balochistan province of Pakistan) by another train.
“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,” the source said.
Pakistan media reports intense firing near tunnel
The Pakistan media reported intense firing and explosion near the tunnel, where the militants hijacked the train.
Rind said that they had dispatched rescue teams amid reports of “intense” firing at a Peshawar-bound passenger train.
Pakistan Railways have set up an emergency desk at the Peshawar and Quetta Railway stations as frantic relatives and friends try to get some information about their loved ones on the train.
Pakistan Railways had resumed train services to Peshawar from Quetta after a suspension of more than a month-and-a-half.
Rana Muhammad Dilawar, district police officer in the area where the train was stopped, said the security forces had surrounded the area, but there were reports that the militants had taken some women and children as hostages.
(With inputs from agencies)
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