The attack, carried out by the Baloch Liberation Army, or B.L.A., unfolded Tuesday afternoon as the Jaffar Express, carrying more than 400 passengers, wound through the province’s rugged and isolated mountains. Gunmen opened fire, forced the train to halt and took hostages. On Wednesday night, Pakistan’s military said that security forces had carried out a rescue operation that secured the hostages’ release and left 33 militants dead. Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, the army’s spokesman, told a local broadcaster, Dunya News, that at least 21 passengers had died in the separatists’ assault on the train. He said that no hostages had been killed in the security forces’ rescue operation.

Source: The Times March 13, 2025 13:10 UTC