Security forces have freed at least 346 passengers who were taken hostage by armed insurgents in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan. The Pakistani army said that 33 rebels were killed while freeing the hostages and the rescue operation was completed.
According to the Pakistani military, 27 civilians and four soldiers were killed on the train before security operations against the attackers began. But Pakistani media reported that at least 30 security personnel were killed.
37 passengers who were injured during the rescue have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. According to the Pakistan Railways official, there were 440 passengers in the train. The Pakistani army has alleged that the planners of the incident are in Afghanistan. Insurgent group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the Jafar Express train from Quetta to Peshawar on Tuesday and took several passengers hostage. According to a railway official in Quetta, 80 passengers, including 11 children and 26 women, got off the train and returned home on Tuesday. According to military officials, there were more than 100 soldiers who boarded the train from Quetta.
BLA, through a statement, said that before attacking the train, it detonated a bomb on a railway track in the remote CB district. The BLA also warned of severe consequences if they tried to rescue those they had captured. The attackers demanded the release of Baloch political prisoners within 48 hours.
The BLA, which has been waging a decades-long insurgency for Balochistan's independence, has been targeting police stations, railways and highways. Last August, they opened fire on a highway in Balochistan province after pulling people out of buses and trucks while checking IDs. At least 39 people died in the incident. But recently, BLA has started targeting Chinese citizens working in projects in Balochistan. Since 2011, this group has been attacking Pakistani security agencies, foreign workers, government employees and journalists. BLA has been declared a terrorist organization by many western countries including Pakistan as well as UK and US.
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), founded in 1964 in Damascus, Syria, was initially involved in the Iranian Baloch insurgency. The Iranian Baloch revolted against the government there. After five years of conflict, the rebellion against the Shah of Iran was ended through negotiations. After that BLF along with other Baloch organizations also started activities against Pakistan government. Since the 1970s, these organizations have been active in Afghanistan.
