Breaking: Pakistan’s Jaffar Express train hijacked by Baloch militants, over 100 taken hostages
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant group, on Tuesday claimed responsibility for hijacking Jaffar Express, a passenger train operated by Pakistan Railways, and holding all 100 passengers hostage in Balochistan. The militant group issued a statement claiming that they had taken control of the train and said six military personnel were killed, while over 100 passengers have been taken hostage.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has seized the Jaffar Express and taken all the passengers hostage. BLA spokesperson said that the operation is being carried out by the BLA Majeed Brigade Fateh Squad and STOS.
The incident was reported when the Jaffar Express was travelling from Quetta in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The BLA in a statement said its fighters carried out a “meticulously planned operation” in Mashkaf, Dhadar, Bolan. “Our freedom fighters have blown up the railway track, forcing the Jaffar Express to come to a halt. The fighters swiftly took control of the train, holding all passengers hostage,” the group stated in a statement.
The BLA group issued a stern warning and said, “If the occupying forces attempt any military operation, the consequences will be severe. All hundreds of hostages will be executed, and the responsibility for this bloodshed will lie solely with the occupying forces.”