Pakistan’s security forces are engaged in an intensive operation against extremists who hijacked a passenger station in Balochistan’s Bolan area, taking nearly 500 individuals prisoner after bombing a railroad track on Tuesday.
The Balochistan Liberation Army ( BLA ), which claimed responsibility for the attack, has positioned suicide bombers among the hostages and issued a 48-hour ultimatum. The team has threatened to kill ten more hostages if military procedures continue.
Life bombers among victims
Safety sources told that extremists have deployed suicide bombers wearing violent vests near citizens, making rescue efforts deadly. ” The jihadists have positioned suicide aircraft right next to honest victims”, a safety standard confirmed. Women and children have been taken to three different locations, being used as animal weapons.
” The insurgents have now formed smaller groups to try to avoid in the dark, but the security forces have surrounded the hole, and the remaining people will also be rescued quickly”, the official added.
BLA’s 48 hour-ultimatum
Amid ongoing military activities, the BLA has issued a stark alert, vowing to do ten victims if Pakistan continues its strikes and artillery shooting. ” If the Pakistan military launches an activity, all victims will be executed”, the militant group declared in a statement, according to The Balochistan Post.
The party accused the defense of “irresponsible and foolish aggression”, alleging that aircraft attacks targeted their positions near the stolen Jaffar Express station.
Large casualties as security forces push on
So far, safety troops have rescued at least 155 people, including women and children, while eliminating 27 extremists. However, the fight has even resulted in significant fatalities, with at least 20 soldiers killed in furious weapons battles.
Gunfire and bombs have rocked the Bolan area immediately, as safety makes sped-up work to regain control of the station. Emergency desks have been set up at Peshawar and Quetta railway stations to assist frantic relatives seeking information about their loved ones.
Tense standoff in Balochistan
The Jaffar Express, carrying nearly 500 passengers, was en route from Quetta to Peshawar when it was intercepted in a tunnel near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has long been a hotbed of insurgent activity. The BLA, which is banned in Pakistan, the UK, and the US, frequently targets security forces and infrastructure, including projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor ( CPEC ).
Why is Balochistan a conflict zone?
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, has long been home to separatist movements.
Militants claim that the region’s natural resources are exploited by outsiders, leaving little benefit for locals. Violence has worsened since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan, with Pakistan accusing Kabul of harbouring militants—an allegation the Taliban denies.
In 2013, Balochistan saw highest militant violence in nearly a decade.
