Pakistan train hijack: Video claiming to show Baloch militants targeting Jaffar Express surfaces online

A day after Baloch gunmen opened fire on the Jaffar Express train and took passengers hostage in Pakistan’s Balochistan on Tuesday, the Baloch Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for the attack, released a video showing an explosion on the tracks.

The footage also shows dozens of militants emerging from their mountainous hideouts and storming the train carriages.

On Wednesday, the second day of a siege, Pakistan security sources said the military had freed 190 train passengers taken hostage by gunmen.

Around 500 passengers were on board when the separatist militant group hijacked the train in the remote frontier district, with an unknown number of hostages still being held.

According to a News 18 report, several pro-Balochistan groups circulated the video purportedly depicting the attack and the seizure of the train.

This is believed to be the first footage of the attack, added the report, citing claims circulating online.

The viral video depicts a train passing through a mountainous region that appears to be in Balochistan.

Shortly after, thick black smoke is seen rising from the front coaches following a visible explosion.

Armed individuals, believed to be Baloch activists, are seen near the train, reportedly taking passengers hostage while the train remained stationary.

The Jaffar Express, carrying around 500 passengers across nine coaches, was en route from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa when it came under fire between Gudalaar and Piru Koneri in a tunnel.

The attack also resulted in numerous injuries among passengers.

Authorities later said that 30 militants were killed and 190 passengers were rescued by security forces, with efforts continuing to free the remaining passengers.

“So far, 190 passengers have been rescued, and 30 terrorists have been killed. Due to the presence of women and children with suicide bombers, extreme caution is being exercised,” AFP quoted security sources as saying.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for derailing the train and said that it killed several security personnel while taking over 100 individuals hostage, including some security forces.

In a statement, the BLA warned that if the Pakistani military conducts an operation, “all hostages will be executed.” The group is banned in Pakistan, the UK, and the US.

The BLA has staged a series of recent attacks against security forces and ethnic groups from outside the province they accuse of benefiting from the region’s wealth.

The group has demanded an exchange with security forces for its imprisoned members.

With inputs from agencies