Pakistani security forces battle to free about 300 hostages aboard a
hijacked train
[March 12, 2025]
By ABDUL SATTAR and MUNIR AHMED
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Security forces battled hundreds of militants
who were holding about 300 people hostage Wednesday on a train they had
hijacked in remote southwestern Pakistan, officials said. Militants
wearing vests loaded with explosives surrounded the hostages.
The separatist Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the
attack Tuesday in a tunnel in Bolan, a district in restive Balochistan
province. Spokesman Jeeyand Baloch said the group was ready to free
passengers if authorities agree to release jailed militants.
There has been no comment from the government, which has rejected such
demands in the past.
At least 27 militants have been killed and security forces rescued more
than 150 of the 450 passengers initially on the train. Helicopters were
backing up Pakistani forces in the rugged region, said spokesman Shahid
Rind, describing the attack as “an act of terrorism.”
It was the first time the BLA separatist hijacked a train, though the
militants have attacked trains before.
The group regularly targets Pakistani security forces and has also in
the past attacked civilians, including Chinese nationals working on
multibillion-dollar projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor. Estimates say the BLA has around 3,000 fighters.
Pakistan hosts thousands of Chinese workers as part of Beijing’s
multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major
infrastructure projects including ports and airports in Balochistan.
China condemned the latest attack and foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao
Ning said her country "will continue to firmly support Pakistan in
advancing its counterterrorism efforts.”
What is the latest?
Authorities said the rescued so far include women and children. An
undisclosed number of security personnel have been killed, according to
three security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they
were not authorized to speak to the media.
Officials say the train was partially inside a tunnel when the militants
blew up the tracks, forcing the engine and nine coaches to stop. The
driver was wounded and guards aboard the train were attacked, although
the officials gave no details on how many there were or their fate.
Rescued passengers were being sent to their hometowns and the injured
were being treated at hospitals in the province's Mach district. Others
were taken to Quetta, the provincial capital, about 100 kilometers (62
miles) away.
The train was traveling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar
when it came under attack.
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A paramilitary soldier takes position at a railway station near the
attack site of a passenger train by insurgents, in Mushkaf in Bolan
district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday,
March 12, 2025. (AP Photo)
A region of insurgents
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the
scene of insurgency with militants demanding greater autonomy from
the government in Islamabad and a larger share of the region’s
natural resources.
Also, insurgencies on either side of the Iran-Pakistan border have
frustrated both countries. Their governments suspect each other of
supporting — or at least tolerating — some of the groups operating
on the other side of the border.
In Iran, the militant group Jaish al-Adl has carried out many
attacks in recent years. Tehran has sought help from Pakistan in
countering the threat from it, and Pakistan also wants Tehran to
deny sanctuaries to BLA fighters.
In January 2024, Islamabad and Tehran engaged in tit-for-tat
airstrikes targeting insurgents inside each other’s border areas,
killing at least 11 people, but later they quickly deescalated the
situation through talks.
What do the hijackers want?
The BLA said the hostages and some captured members of the security
forces were being guarded by suicide bombers Wednesday. The BLA has
warned that the life of hostages would be at risk if the government
does not negotiate.
Trains in Balochistan typically have security personnel on board as
members of the military frequently use trains to travel from Quetta
to other parts of the country. In November, The BLA carried out a
suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta that killed 26 people.
Analysts said the train attack and its focus on civilians could
backfire.
“After failing to damage the Pakistan Army within Balochistan, BLA
has shifted its targets from military to unarmed civilians. This may
give them instant public and media attention, but it will weaken
their support base within the civilian population, which is their
ultimate objective,” said Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based
independent security analyst.
Oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest and least
populated province. It’s a hub for the country’s ethnic Baloch
minority, whose members say they face discrimination and
exploitation by the central government.
___
Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers; Rasool
Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan; Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan,
Pakistan; and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this
report.
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