Pakistani security forces have freed 80 passengers from a hijacked train in Baluchistan, in the southwest of the country, the security services reported on Tuesday evening.
The Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), the region’s main separatist movement, claimed responsibility for the hijacking of the train on Tuesday afternoon. More than 450 people were on board the Jaffar Express, according to local railways. The freed hostages include 43 men, 26 women and 11 children.
Efforts to safely release the remaining passengers are ongoing, the security services added.
In a statement, the BLA said it “destroyed the railway track with explosives, forcing the Jaffar Express to stop.”
The BLA frequently claims responsibility for deadly attacks on law enforcement officers and Pakistani nationals from other provinces. The group accuses them and foreign investors of plundering their resource-rich province without benefiting the local population.
