On Tuesday, a passenger train in Pakistan's Balochistan province was taken over by militants. In response, security forces successfully eliminated at least 16 hijackers and rescued 104 passengers. The Jaffar Express, which was transporting about 400 passengers in nine carriages from Quetta to Peshawar, was ambushed by armed individuals linked to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in a tunnel near the rugged areas of Gudalar and Piru Kunri. During the ongoing firefight, security personnel were able to free 104 individuals, including women and children. Efforts to ensure the safety of all passengers will continue until everyone is safely evacuated from the train.
Some of the hostages have reportedly been taken into the mountains, while security forces are actively pursuing them in the darkness. Sources indicate that the rescued individuals, comprising 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children, were transported to Mach, a town in the Kachhi district of Balochistan province, via another train.
The militants have now split into smaller groups in an attempt to escape under the cover of night, but security forces have encircled the tunnel, and the remaining hostages are expected to be rescued shortly. Earlier, security forces successfully freed 80 passengers, including 43 men, 26 women, and 11 children, as reported by Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)