Separatist militants hijacked the Jaffar Express in southwest Pakistan, taking over 400 passengers hostage, including suicide bombers. A tense rescue operation is underway as the Baloch Liberation Army threatens executions unless its demands are met.

QUETTA (Reuters) – The rescue mission for hostages aboard a hijacked train in southwest Pakistan has been made even more challenging, with separatist militants wearing suicide vests positioned next to some of the passengers, security sources revealed on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, around 60 militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the Jaffar Express, a train carrying more than 400 passengers. The militants blew up a railway track and fired rockets at the train, leaving several passengers injured and some dead. As of now, around 190 passengers have been rescued, officials said.

Muhammad Ashraf, a passenger on the train, described the attack: "People were attacked... some passengers were injured, and some died." However, the exact number of hostages still in the militants' control remains unclear. The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack, stating they were holding 214 hostages.

The train's driver was killed by severe injuries, while hundreds of troops and helicopter teams were deployed to rescue the remaining hostages in the remote mountainous region where the train was hijacked.

The situation is more complex than initially anticipated, with some militants, wearing bombs strapped to their bodies, sitting directly next to other passengers, a security source said, adding that these bombers could jeopardize any attempt at negotiation or rescue.

A video released by the militants shows the train traveling through a desolate pass, with explosions erupting on the tracks. The video, which could not be independently verified, cuts to footage of passengers being dragged off the train as it stops outside a tunnel.

The BLA has set a 48-hour deadline for authorities to release Baloch political prisoners, activists, and individuals they claim were abducted by the military. The militants threatened to start executing hostages if their demands are not met.

In a message shared on Telegram, one militant said, "Comrades are shedding their blood for you, for this motherland," urging the people of Balochistan to join their fight against the Pakistani government.

At the time of the attack, there were 425 people aboard the train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. After seizing control, the militants began checking passengers' identification, reportedly targeting soldiers and security personnel. At least 11 people, including paramilitary forces, are believed to have been killed.

The BLA is the largest of several ethnic militant groups operating in Balochistan, an area rich in mineral resources and strategically located along the borders with Afghanistan and Iran.

On Wednesday, a security source confirmed that 30 BLA fighters had been killed in the ongoing military operation. The previous day, the BLA denied any casualties on their side.

As the rescue mission continues, more than 50 of the freed passengers arrived in Quetta, where they were greeted by anxious relatives. One woman, desperate to see her son returned, pleaded with provincial minister Mir Zahoor Buledi, saying, "I beg you with folded hands, please bring my child back."

In response, Buledi assured reporters that the government was working to enhance security in the region. Meanwhile, nearly 100 empty coffins were spotted at the Quetta railway station, ready for the potential arrival of more bodies.

In light of the ongoing security concerns, Pakistan Railways has suspended all train services between Punjab and Sindh provinces to Balochistan until authorities confirm the area is safe.

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