Armed attack on passenger train in Pakistan: nearly 500 people held hostage
An armed attack was launched on a train carrying approximately 500 passengers in the southwestern Balochistan province of Pakistan.
Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind said the train, which was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was attacked by militants. Security forces have been deployed to the area and the situation is under control.
Railway Controller Muhammad Kashif confirmed that the militants stopped the train at Tunnel 8 in Quetta. Efforts are underway to contact the approximately 500 passengers and train staff.
According to Health Ministry spokesman Wasim Baig, an emergency has been declared at a hospital in Sibi and ambulances have been dispatched to the scene.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Local media reported that at least 100 passengers were taken hostage.
The area where the incident occurred is mountainous, making it easy for the suspects to find shelter and plan their attack. The attack could result in fatalities and injuries.
Pakistani officials confirmed that the BLA carried out the attack
Three security officials told the Associated Press (AP) on condition of anonymity that BLA militants ambushed the train in a tunnel and used women and children as "human shields."
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsen Naqi condemned the attack, saying, "The creatures who opened fire on innocent passengers deserve no favors."
Pakistani military sources: attackers surrounded
Pakistani military sources told reporters that it was a "terrorist attack." They said security forces had surrounded the attackers and that clashes with the terrorists were ongoing.
Sources said the operation is being carried out with extreme caution as the attackers are using women and children as human shields. Security forces said they will continue the operation until the last terrorist is eliminated.
The public was advised to rely on information provided by reliable sources and not to believe unfounded and false information being spread on social media.
The problem of terrorism in Pakistan
Recently, there has been an increase in armed attacks in Pakistan, especially in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces bordering Afghanistan.
In these two provinces, armed groups claiming to protect the rights of ethnic groups such as Pashtuns and Baloch are carrying out attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Islamabad claims that the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) is based in Afghanistan and is launching attacks from there. The Afghan government denies these claims.
In Balochistan, attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) are common. The BLA wants the Balochistan province to secede from Pakistan and for the Baloch people to rule the region.
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