Lahore: Pakistan is once more under the spotlight for bizarre happenings. Now the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has taken over the finest train in Pakistan, named the Jaffar Express, and taken its passengers hostage. age. The spokesperson added that the operation is carried out by BLA’s Majeed BrigadeSquad, eh Squad, and STOS. At the same time, the news of the capture of the train left the Pakistani government and military in shock. The organisers are working to find a way to free the people taken hostage.
Mama Qadeer Baloch, a Baloch activist, speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, claimed that during the course of the operation, 150 Pakistani soldiers travelling on the Jaffar Express were killed by the insurgents. “The BLA has made many tries for independence like this before,” he said. They have previously held hostages. They realised this train was carrying many soldiers who were going on holiday for Eid. They split from other soldiers and executed them. “Some 150 soldiers are dead.” This is the biggest operation ever.
The Pakistan military is embarrassed after Baloch insurgents seized the Jaffar Express in Balochistan. The insurgents promise to continue killing soldiers until their demands are fulfilled. CNN reports that the attackers gunned down troops who attempted to repel them.
The insurgents still hold 350 people in their custody, according to local police from the hijacked train area. They claim that the insurgents are deliberately targeting the military. So far, the BLA had reportedly killed 30 soldiers, they claim.
They have also been reported to have demanded that the Pakistani government negotiate with them as a condition for releasing the hostages. In the meantime, the military is gearing up for a large-scale operation overnight. On the other hand, the Baloch Liberation Army is also preparing for a collective military offensive, hoarding and munitions.
According to the BLA, 30 Pakistani soldiers have died so far. They have served Pakistan a 48-hour deadline to facilitate a prisoner swap. It is the fourth time such an exchange has been proposed by the brazen BLA, but the Pakistani military has always chosen the path of officer rather than engagement.
Separatists attacked a train; the fate of hundreds is unknown. n. Pakistani officials tell AP A rescue operation has been launched to save them, with Egypt understood to have been negotiating on the quiet.
Reuters reports a massive explosion near the tunnel, with heavy gunfire echoing throughout the mountainous area. The Baloch insurgents look veteran, armed with artillery used against military choppers. Now the Pakistani military has found it difficult to reach the area.
A majority of the hostages are being held under the BLA’s Fidayeen unit, the Majeed Brigade. BLA spokesman Jiand Baloch warned that measures have been taken to kill all the hostages if the Pakistani military launches any operation and said that we will fight till martyrdom.
BLA, meanwhile, said that 20 soldiers of the Pakistan Army had been killed and numerous more incurred life-threatening injuries. And so the battle rages on, both sides exchanging small-arms fire. The corruption within the Pakistani military is barely affecting officers; however, it is affecting the investor level, where the Pakistan military has issued an ultimatum to insurgents.
The BLA said in a statement that all the civilians have been freed, but they still hold more than 100 Pakistani military and paramilitary personnel. This is a huge undertaking and signifies that however violent the Baloch activism, it is well beyond a “low-intensity insurgency.”.
A second clip from the BLA assault has emerged, depicting Pakistani army choppers in a difficult time to assist their forces. The fate of soldiers hangs in the balance in Pakistan.
The lethality of BLA fighters secured them with the whole Jaffar Express. They explained that the hostages also include serving members of the Pakistani military, police, ISI, and ATFF who were on vacation. We have also released general civilians, including women, children, the elderly, and Baloch civilians, and given them a safe passage.
The BLA has threatened to kill all hostages if military action does not stop. The operation is conducted by the STOS’s Majeed Brigade, Fateh Squad, and the BLA’s Jirab Unit and will be answered with severe consequences if any military action is taken.
As per reports, 182 passengers are still in the custody of BLA. The insurgents are allegedly torching the train, which could result in numerous casualties.
The BLA, sources said, has released women and children but has more than 100 military officers and ISI officials in captivity. Thus far, the battles with the insurgents have claimed the lives of 11 soldiers.
Some Pakistani media outlets report that the insurgents’ gunfire has also killed six soldiers providing security for the train. BLA has also directly threatened the Pakistani government through social media that “no action will be taken against them; otherwise, all hostages will be killed.”
The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that the train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar was fired on Tuesday, an incident that has led to the immediate dispatch of military personnel. Spokesman for the Sipah Balochistan government, Shahid Rind, said the heavy firing was between Pehro Kunari and Gadalar. Railway controller Muhammad Kashif reported that the train, consisting of nine carriages, was transporting approximately 500 passengers. Activists from BLA, however, say they have taken complete control of the train.
Armed militants intercepted the train as it was going through Tunnel No. 8, Pakistan Railways said. There has been no contact with passengers or staff. Authorities placed hospitals on emergency alert and deployed ambulances and security forces in the region. Rind said officials were having a difficult time getting to the area due to the rocky landscape. The rescue work has dispatched more trains.