The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Tuesday said that it took control of the Jaffar Express train and over 180 people hostage, including passengers and soldiers. The BLA also reported that at least 20 Pakistani military personnel were killed in the attack. After the attack, the train came to a stop in a remote area in the Bolan district and the fate of the passengers was not immediately clear.
The hijacked train was traveling from the provincial capital of Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it came under attack, government spokesman Shahid Rind said, adding that enforcements were heading to Bolan to respond to the situation. He had no further details.
In a statement, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said that they have "completely repelled the Pakistani military's ground assault following the seizure of Jaffar Express. After intense clashes, Pakistani ground troops were forced to retreat, but airstrikes from helicopters and drones continue unabated."
The BLA said that it will execute the captives if Pakistani forces launch an operation.
The Jaffar Express, with some 400 passengers on board in nine bogies, was on its way from Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Over 450 passengers and staff were initially taken hostage but the BLA later said civilian passengers, particularly women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens were released.
Pakistan's Samaa TV said that according to Raiway officials, no contact has been established with the 450 passengers and staff aboard the 9-coach Jaffar Express.
By Tuesday night, 104 hostages had been freed by security forces, the security sources told CNN. Those released included 58 men, 31 women and 15 children, the security sources said, adding that injured passengers had been taken to hospital and that work to rescue the remaining hostages was still underway.