In the middle of the mountains, separatists in the Pakistani region of Belutschistan have attacked a train. The day after, there are still hundreds in the hands of the terrorists. The despair of relatives is big.
There are always terrorist attacks in Pakistan, but an attack by this dimension is new. In the west of the country, terrorists in a remote mountain region have brought a train into their violence, with more than 400 passengers on board.
A separatist movement has been known for the hostage -taking, which calls itself “Liberation Army of Belutschistan”. It demands the release of prisoners from the government. Otherwise they threaten to shoot the hostages. Hundreds of people should still be under their violence.
“People screamed and cried”
According to media reports, 190 hostages have now been freed. The AFP news agency spoke to some of the people.
As can be seen on a video of the news agency, several women, men and children sit in a small room after the liberation. They were on the way from the provincial capital Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan when their train was suddenly attacked. The terrorists had apparently entrenched themselves in the mountains.
One of them is Yousaf Bashir. He was able to escape with his family. “People screamed and cried,” he told the AFP. “Some have laid on the floor, we too. Everyone lay down. There were shots and explosions.” The hostage -takers had asked people to get out. The terrorists would have let him and his family go, Bashir reports.
Change of shooting Security forces on the train
The train with more than 400 passengers was partly in a tunnel when the attackers opened the fire. According to the authorities, they blew up the railway tracks and fought a change of shooting with the security forces on board the train.
Eyeen Muhammad Ashraf reports how brutally the attackers were doing: “People were attacked, the passengers were injured and some died.”
“Why did you let your trains go?”
Anyone who could be liberated is eagerly awaited at Quetta at the train station. Relatives have gathered there to receive their family members. While others desperately search for information about the missing. “I hire her, please bring my child back,” says a waiting woman. “Why did you let your trains go if it wasn't safe?”
How many hostages are still under the violence of the terrorists is unclear. A separatist movement, which is called the liberation army of Belutschistan (BLA), became known for the hostage -taking. In a message, she asked for the release of prisoners within 48 hours. The group has threatened to carry out the hostage if the government does not meet its demands.
The BLA calls for a detachment from the central government in Islamabad. “It is a difficult time for the whole nation,” says Zahoor Buledi from the provincial government after the recent attack. “The government of Belutschistan and its security forces are trying to improve security.”
More than 1,600 deaths through attacks
Belutschistan is located in the southwest of Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan and Iran and is the poorest province in the country. Separatism groups have been fighting against the security forces for decades.
According to experts, more than 1,600 people were killed in attacks in Pakistan in 2024. However, there has never been an entire train that attackers have a whole train. The Pakistani railway has exposed all trips to the affected area until further notice.
