Militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked a passenger train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Tuesday, taking hundreds of passengers hostage. The Pakistani military launched an immediate rescue operation, successfully freeing 155 hostages and killing 27 militants.
However, the operation has become increasingly difficult as some militants have strapped suicide bombs to themselves and are using civilians as human shields, according to security sources. Women and children have been separated into three different locations, making the rescue effort even more complex.
Reports suggest that the militants have already killed at least 10 hostages in retaliation for the military’s intervention. On Tuesday night, BLA spokesperson Jiand Baloch issued a statement warning that if the operation continued, another 10 hostages would be executed. The group also claimed that the Pakistani army had launched drone and artillery strikes near the train.
The BLA has demanded the release of Baloch militants from prison in exchange for the hostages. However, there has been no response from the Pakistani government regarding this demand.
Security forces have announced that a full-scale rescue operation will take place on Wednesday, with all available resources being deployed to ensure the safe recovery of the remaining hostages.