The Balochistan militants hijacked a train carrying hundreds of passengers in Mushqaf area of the Bolan district in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday.
According to reports, the Jaffar Express with around 400 passengers on board in nine bogies, was on its way from Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when the militants opened fire and hijacked the train.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group which seeks independence for Balochistan from Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had taken over a hundred hostages from the train.
Reuters quoted Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind as saying that emergency measures have been imposed and all institutions mobilised to deal with the situation.
Balochistan has been witnessing insurgency for decades with the rebel group carrying out attacks against government, army and Chinese interests in the region.