Pakistan Train Hijack: Baloch Rebels Take 182 Hostages, 30 Security Personnel Killed | Top Points

Last Updated:March 11, 2025, 22:02 IST

Pakistan Train Hijack: BLA militants bombed the railway track and captured the Quetta-Peshawar Jaffar Express train on Tuesday. The militants killed 20 Army personnel in intense clashes.

Security forces have been deployed after the Jaffar Express train hijacking. (Image/Agencies)

Pakistan Train Hijacking: Separatist Baloch militants staged a major attack on Tuesday by derailing and hijacking a Peshawar-bound train near Bolan district in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan, taking hundreds of passengers hostage and beginning a long confrontation with the embattled military.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) took responsibility for hijacking the Jaffar Express, which was going from Quetta to Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. At least 450 passengers were taken captive, and the BLA warned that all passengers would be executed if Pakistan launched a military operation.

Rescue teams and ambulances were dispatched to the site, but they encountered significant difficulties due to the rocky terrain of the mountains. Several local media outlets reported of intense clashes between the Pakistani Army and the Baloch rebels, after which more than 30 security personnel were killed, in a major embarrassment for the all-powerful military.

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Pakistan Train Hijack: Top Points

BLA militants hijacked the train between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar in Balochistan province while it was travelling to Peshawar from Quetta, which takes around 34 hours. The gunmen had “bombed the railway track" and taken control of the train in Sibi after wounding the driver.The BLA said it had taken captive hundreds of passengers, estimated to be 450, aboard the Jaffar Express and threatened to execute all hostages in case of a military intervention. Rescue teams and security forces were dispatched to the scene.In another statement, the BLA said it “completely repelled" the Pakistani military’s ground assault and Pakistani troops were “forced to retreat" after intense clashes near the captured train. The Army has started conducting airstrikes and drone attacks. by deploying Cobra helicopters and jet fighters.As the first attempt to rescue hostages failed miserably, the BLA took 100 enemy personnel into captivity and told the Pakistani military to stop the aerial bombardment or bear responsibility for the execution of all hostages.Later, the BLA said it had taken 182 hostages, including military personnel, but all civilian passengers – including women, children, the elderly and the Baloch citizens – have been released safely and given a secure route. At least 20 security personnel were killed in intense clashes. The 182 hostages included active-duty personnel from the Pakistani Army, police, ISI and ATIF, all of whom were travelling on leave.Security forces cordoned off the area and surrounded the team, Pakistan’s security sources told local media. The forces had to take extreme caution as the BLA “terrorists" were using women and children as “human shields", they added.Pakistan’s security forces launched a clearance operation to neutralise the attackers and rescue hostages, and that the militants responsible for the “cowardly" attack were in touch with their facilitators abroad. Officials said the train was captured inside a tunnel, complicating rescue efforts.The Balochistan government imposed emergency measures and all institutions were mobilised to deal with the situation. A relief train and contingents of security forces were also dispatched to the site of the attack.Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the incident and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the firing. “The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions," he said in a statement.Local police later told Reuters armed militants had taken at least 35 hostages during the train hijack, and over 350 passengers are believed to be safe.

ALSO READ: Railway Track Bombed, Train Driver Attacked: How Baloch Rebels Hijacked Pakistan’s Jaffar Express

Baloch Militancy In Pakistan’s Border

Security forces have been battling a decades-long insurgency in impoverished Balochistan, which militant groups claim is being exploited by outsiders, with wealth from its natural resources syphoned off with little benefit to the local population.

Terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province have increased in recent months, with attacks on civilians, police, the Army and even foreign workers. Pakistan’s Army has responded by launching counter-insurgency operations, which have been criticised for excessive use of force and violation of human rights.

The BLA carried out 302 attacks last year, resulting in over 580 deaths and 370 injuries, according to a report by The Balochistan Post. Other groups like the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), and Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) also launched hundreds of attacks that cumulatively caused over 1,000 deaths in 2024.

In November 2024, the BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at Quetta’s main railway station that killed 26 people, including 14 soldiers.

Location :

Peshawar, Pakistan

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News world Pakistan Train Hijack: Baloch Rebels Take 182 Hostages, 30 Security Personnel Killed | Top Points