Pakistani Forces Free Train Hostages After Deadly Baluch Separatist Attack

Over 450 passengers were targeted in a violent train hijacking in Baluchistan, leaving dozens dead and many still unaccounted for.

The Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the Jaffar Express on March 11, detonating a bomb to derail the train and taking hostages in the Baluchistan province.
Pakistani military operations have freed 346 hostages, with reports confirming 28 soldiers and one paramilitary officer killed in the rescue efforts.
At least 32 to 35 separatist fighters were killed in the clashes, but some militants reportedly escaped into surrounding mountainous areas with an unknown number of hostages.
The BLA targeted passengers based on their regional origins, seeking to negotiate an exchange of hostages for imprisoned Baluch activists.
This attack highlights ongoing tensions in resource-rich but impoverished Baluchistan, where separatist violence has surged, with over 1,600 killed in attacks last year alone.