Baloch Liberation Army takes 500 train passengers hostage

In a major escalation of separatist conflict in Pakistan, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has taken 500 train passengers hostage, including women and children.

The separatist militants attacked a Peshawar-bound train, the Jaffar Express, forcing to come to halt on Tuesday. The fighters swiftly took control of the train, holding all passengers hostage.

In a statement, BLA claimed responsibility for the hostage crisis and said they had taken hostages from the train, including security forces. Six military personnel were killed in the attack, they said.

A train driver was allegedly injured in the firing, according to police and railway officials. The train was on its way to Peshawar from Quetta when it was fired upon. Rescue teams and security forces have reached the scene, and an operation is underway to track down the militants.

However, the BLA claimed to have “completely repelled” a ground assault by the Pakistani Army, forcing troops to retreat, and took 100 security personnel into captivity. The BLA issued a final warning to execute all hostages if the military did not halt airstrikes.