Armed rebels in Balochistan province of Pakistan attacked a passenger train and held a number of passengers. According to military sources, the BBC said on Tuesday that the train, named Jafar Express, was attacked on the way to Peshawa from Quetta, Pakistan.
A separatist group called Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has confessed to shooting the train and attacking the bomb. In a statement, the rebel group said the train was now under their control.
According to local police, at least three people were injured in the attack. Among the injured are the train driver. Security forces have reached the scene to deal with the situation and helicopters have been deployed to rescue passengers.
Don, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, told the magazine that fierce shootings were reported on the train. According to a police source, the AFP said the train was still stuck near a hill tunnel.
Meanwhile, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said that if the security forces tried to rescue their detained passengers, then 'serious consequences' would have to suffer.
The BLA has long been fighting for Balochistan's demand for independence and they have often been attacking police stations, railways and highways. The Pakistani government and the United States and the United Kingdom have declared BLA as a terrorist organization.
Quote Railway Controller Mohammad Kashif said there were about 5 to 6 passengers on the train. However, it was not confirmed how many were held hostage.
Quarter Railway officials said several women and children have started walking from the train to the CB city after the insurgency attacks. But the specified number was not known.
Meanwhile, the relatives of the passengers are waiting at the quote railway station. On Tuesday morning, a passenger on the train left for Lahore from Quetta. His son Mohammad Ashraf told BBC Urdu that he had not yet been able to contact his father.
Railway officials said there was no mobile network and internet services at the attack site. As a result, it is difficult to contact the passengers of the train.
Balochistan is the largest and natural resource rich province of Pakistan. But this is the most underdeveloped area. There has been a long -standing movement demanding independence, which often turns into violence.
