Rescue Operation Faces Major Obstacles
Armed militants in southwestern Pakistan have hijacked a train, taking hundreds of passengers hostage and are currently in a standoff with the military.
According to Pakistan's daily Dawn and other sources on the 12th (local time), the train traveling from Quetta in Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was attacked by armed militants at the Mashkaf Tunnel, about 160 km from Quetta, the previous day. Approximately 500 passengers were on board the train.
About 50 armed militants blew up the railway tracks, stopped the train, and took control while firing guns. During this process, more than 10 people, including the train driver, passengers, and military personnel on board, were reported killed.
Rana Dilawar, a senior police official in Balochistan province, explained that the militants checked passengers' identification cards to identify those from outside Balochistan and military personnel. Some armed militants kidnapped about 30 passengers and took them to the mountains. The remaining militants stayed on the train, holding the passengers hostage.
The Pakistani government deployed hundreds of military personnel and helicopters in a rescue operation, announcing that 27 militants were killed and 155 passengers were rescued. However, it is reported that more than 200 hostages are still being held inside the train.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which is waging an armed struggle for independence in Balochistan province, claimed responsibility for the incident via Telegram.
The Pakistan military is conducting a full-scale rescue operation, but the operation is reportedly difficult because the armed militants are sitting among the hostages wearing suicide vests.
Balochistan province borders Afghanistan and Iran and is rich in various mineral resources. China is conducting Belt and Road Initiative-related projects in this area. Militants in the region, including the BLA, claim independence, accusing the Pakistani government and foreign capital of exploiting local resources, and carry out terrorist activities targeting outsiders. The Pakistani military is responding with large-scale suppression operations, and violent incidents continue to occur.
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