Militants opened fire on a passenger train in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, injuring the train driver and causing panic among passengers, reports news agency Reuters.
The Jaffar Express, with around 400 passengers on board in nine bogies, was on its way from Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it was fired on, railway officials said. Authorities have yet to provide details on the extent of the damage or whether additional injuries were reported among passengers.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group, has claimed responsibility for the assault. In a statement, the BLA also claimed to have taken hostages from the train, including security personnel.
According to reports on local media, the militant group claimed that six military personnel were killed in the attack. The group also stated that hundreds of passengers were being held captive. In a ominous warning, the BLA threatened to execute all hostages if Pakistan attempted to launch a military rescue operation.
HT.com could not independently verify this information.
Security forces have been dispatched to the area, and an investigation into the attack is underway.
Baloch government enforces emergency
The Balochistan government has imposed emergency measures and all institutions have been mobilised to deal with the situation, government spokesperson Shahid Rind said.
“There are reports of intense firing at a Jaffar Express [train] going from Quetta to Peshawar," Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind told local media outlet Dawn. The spokesperson said the incident could be a possible terrorist incident.
{{/usCountry}}“There are reports of intense firing at a Jaffar Express [train] going from Quetta to Peshawar," Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind told local media outlet Dawn. The spokesperson said the incident could be a possible terrorist incident.
{{/usCountry}}Balochistan, a resource-rich but conflict-ridden province, has witnessed a longstanding insurgency by separatist groups demanding independence or greater autonomy. The region has seen repeated attacks on security forces, infrastructure, and civilians in recent years.
The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the South Asian nation's government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources.