Pakistan’s army says it has freed greater than 300 hostages from a passenger train seized by militants in Balochistan province on Tuesday.
The navy spokesperson stated 33 militants have been killed through the operation.
Twenty-one civilian hostages and 4 navy personnel have been killed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) earlier than the operation started, the navy spokesperson stated.
The navy continues its search operation within the space to rule out any remaining threats.
The Pakistani authorities – in addition to a number of Western international locations, together with the UK and US – have designated the BLA as a terrorist organisation.
The BLA is likely one of the insurgent teams demanding both better autonomy or independence for Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province.
They accuse Islamabad of exploiting the province’s wealthy mineral sources whereas additionally neglecting it. Up to now, they’ve attacked navy camps, railway stations and trains – however that is the primary time they’ve hijacked a train.
At the least 100 of these on the train have been members of the safety forces, officers have stated.
The militants had threatened to kill hostages if authorities didn’t launch Baloch political prisoners inside 48 hours, in keeping with native experiences.
Throughout the assault, the militants blew up a piece of the tracks and opened hearth on the train close to a mountain tunnel.
Eyewitnesses described the “doomsday scenes” on board the train because the assault unfolded, with passenger Ishaq Noor telling the BBC: “We held our breath all through the firing, not figuring out what would occur subsequent.”
Officers had problem speaking with passengers on the time of the assault, as a result of the distant space has no web or cell protection.
Helicopters and a whole bunch of troops have been deployed to rescue the hostages. Greater than 100 passengers had been freed by Wednesday morning.
The hijacking lasted greater than 30 hours.
A spokesperson for the navy stated anybody concerned within the assault could be delivered to justice.
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