Armed insurgents in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan region fired on a passenger train carrying hundreds of people on Tuesday (March 11).
The Jafar Express was on its way from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, to Peshawar in the north of the country – a 30-hour journey – with an estimated 500 passengers on board, according to rail authorities.
“Over 450 passengers onboard are being held hostage by gunmen,” Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway government official in Quetta told the AFP news agency.
What we know about the Jafar Express attack so far
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack which took place around 1:00 pm. They said they had bombed the track and taken control of the train.
The group also said they had taken the passengers hostage. The group warned of “severe consequences” if any attempts were made to rescue them.
Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, said the government forces would not retreat and it would not make concessions for “beasts who fire on innocent passengers”.
The driver was reportedly injured in the attack, at which point the train came to a halt in a deserted area in the region of Bolan/Kachhi. Security guards on the train fired back.
Government spokesperson Shahid Rind said reinforcements were being sent to Bolan. German news agency DPA reported that helicopters and gunships were among the reinforcements.
“It looks [like] a terrorism attack, but we still don’t know the exact situation,” Rind said.
The area where the train stopped is mountainous, making it easy terrain for insurgents to launch attacks.
Who are the Balochistan insurgents?
Baloch insurgents regularly target trains, necessitating the presence of armed security personnel.
In November, a suicide bombing attack at a train station in Quetta killed 26 people, including passengers, railway staff and security guards.
The BLA is seeking independence for Balochistan, one of Pakistan’s most mineral-rich but low-population provinces. The group says the central government is unfairly exploiting the region’s natural resources.
It has launched attacks against the government, armed forces and Chinese interests in the region for decades.
A similar insurgency has launched attacks in the Balochistan region of neighbouring Iran.
This article was originally published on DW.
