An armed group has reportedly seized a passenger train in Balochistan province
Armed militants have seized a train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province and are holding 450 passengers hostage, according to AFP news agency.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that its fighters struck the railway track with explosives before taking control of the train in the remote Sibi district, the news agency wrote, citing a statement issued by the group.
A senior railway official in Quetta, the capital of the province, has confirmed the seizure of hostages, according to AFP. The train driver is said to have been injured.
In a purported BLA statement circulating on social media, the group claims that six military personnel have been killed. The militants have reportedly threatened to kill all the hostages if the Pakistani authorities launch an operation to free them.
BLA is an armed separatist group that has long sought independence for the Balochistan province from the central government in Islamabad. It has been designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan and two other countries: the United Kingdom and the United States.
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