The attack was immediately claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which is fighting for independence and accuses outsiders of profiting from the region’s wealth
Pakistani troops freed dozens of train passengers taken hostage by armed militants in the country’s southwest on Tuesday (March 11, 2025), with hundreds more still being held in the deadly siege.
Security sources said that heavy gunfire was ongoing between security forces and the militants. The driver of the train, a police officer, and a soldier were killed in the assault, according to paramedic Nazim Farooq and railway official Muhammad Aslam, both at Mach railway station.
“Security forces have freed 80 hostages, including 43 men, 26 women, and 11 children, from the terrorists,” security sources said, adding that 13 militants had been killed.
Jaffar Express, with around 500 passengers on board in nine coaches, was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa when it was fired upon between Gudalaar and Piru Koneri.
Militants claimed to have taken over 100 hostages on Tuesday (March 11, 2025) as authorities struggled to reach the remote area. The fate of the estimated 500 people aboard was not immediately clear, according to officials.
After the driver was wounded, the train came to a stop in a deserted area, Rind said and added that reinforcements were heading to Bolan to respond to the attack. He had no further details, and the situation with the train and its passengers was not immediately clear.
The separatist Baloch Liberation Army, which has been waging a years-long insurgency in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.
