Pakistan train hijack: Decades-long Baloch insurgency escalates with deadly attack

Armed militants attacked and hijacked a passenger train in Pakistan's Balochistan province, taking over 500 passengers hostage. (Image credits: ANI)

The train, Jaffar Express, was traveling from Quetta in Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it came under attack. (Image credits: IANS)

The attackers, identified as members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), blew up the railway track, forcing the train to stop in a remote area. They then boarded the train and took control. Women and children were taken hostage at three different locations. (Image credits: AP)

BLA positioned suicide bombers among the hostages during the attack. The train driver, a police officer, and a soldier were killed in the beginning. (Image credits: AP)

Pakistani forces launched a "full-scale" operation, rescuing all the hostages while killing 33 BLA militants as of now. Heavy gunfire continued overnight as security forces worked to clear the area. (Image credits: AP)

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) gave the Pakistani government a final 24-hour ultimatum to negotiate a prisoner exchange, warning if no concrete action is taken within the timeframe, all hostages will face trial in the Baloch National Court. (Image credits: PTI)

Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the BLA militants were in contact with their supporters and masterminds in Afghanistan during the operation via satellite phone. (Image credits: AP)

For decades, separatist militant groups in Balochistan have waged an insurgency, frequently targeting the government, army, and Chinese interests while demanding a greater share of the region's mineral wealth. The BLA has sought independence, accusing the government of exploiting Balochistan’s abundant gas and mineral resources. (Image credits: AP)