Watch BLA viral video: Baloch rebels release footage showing train attack, hostage crisis

A rebel group in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province bombed a section of a railway track and attacked a train Tuesday afternoon, according to a video released by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The militant group, which has been behind a surge in violence in the province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, claimed responsibility for the assault.

More than 450 passengers were aboard when the rebels seized the train at the entrance of a tunnel in a remote frontier district. An unknown number of hostages remain in captivity. Pakistani security forces have launched a full-scale operation to rescue those still being held.

A one-minute, 23-second video shows passengers huddled on the ground against a mountain backdrop while armed rebels stand guard.

Over two days, Pakistani forces have freed 190 hostages from the besieged train.

Passengers who escaped described trekking for hours through mountainous terrain to reach safety.

The BLA has demanded an exchange of hostages for its imprisoned members.

Security forces have long battled a separatist insurgency in Balochistan, one of Pakistan’s poorest provinces. Violence has escalated across the western border regions since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.

The BLA claims the region’s natural resources are being exploited by outsiders and has increased attacks targeting Pakistanis from other areas.

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Last year, the group carried out coordinated overnight assaults, including seizing control of a major highway and killing travelers from other ethnic groups.

Punjabi and Sindhi laborers, as well as security forces and foreign infrastructure projects, are often targeted in these attacks.

PNN & Agencies