Armed militants in Pakistan’s Balochistan region have attacked a train carrying more than 400 passengers and taken a number of them hostage, military sources told the BBC on Tuesday. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) fired at the Jaffar Express Train as it travelled from Quetta to Peshawar. The separatist group said it had bombed the track before storming the train in the remote Sibi district, claiming the train was under its control. At least 16 militants have been killed and 100 passengers were freed as of Wednesday morning, local media reported. The BBC has not been able to independently verify those figures. Among those released are 17 injured passengers, who have been hospitalised for treatment. The militants had threatened to kill hostages if authorities did not release Baloch political prisoners within 48 hours, according to local reports. The rescue operation is ongoing. There were reports of “intense firing” at the train, a Balochistan government spokesman told local newspaper Dawn on Tuesday. A senior police official said it “remains stuck just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains”, AFP news agency reports. A senior army official confirmed to the BBC that there were more than 100 army personnel travelling from Quetta on the train. The Pakistani authorities – as well as several Western countries, including the UK and US – have designated the BLA as a terrorist organisation. It has waged a decades-long insurgency to gain independence and has launched numerous deadly attacks, often targeting police stations, railway lines and highways. On Tuesday, the group warned of “severe consequences” if an attempt was made to rescue those it is holding.
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