12 March 2025, 16:07 | Updated: 12 March 2025, 16:15
Soldiers secure Mach railway station after Pakistani security forces freed some passengers
Soldiers secure Mach railway station after Pakistani security forces freed some passengers. Picture: Getty
By Henry Moore
Fifty people have been left dead after separatist militants hijacked a train in Pakistan, holding 400 people hostage for more than a day.
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The Pakistan military today confirmed the day-long standoff had come to an end, with all militants left dead and at least 300 hostages freed.
The Baloch Liberation Army group claimed responsibility for the attack and has said 50 out of the 400 hostages have been killed.
These claims are yet to be verified.
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A soldier works to evacuate freed train passengers at the Mach railway station
A soldier works to evacuate freed train passengers at the Mach railway station. Picture: Getty
The Jaffar Express was travelling from the provincial capital of Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it came under attack in Bolan district, government spokesman Shahid Rind said, calling it "an act of terrorism".
Before being gunned down by the Pakistan military, the BLA issued a statement reading: "The BLA issues a final warning: if the aerial bombardment is not halted immediately, all 100+ hostages will be executed within the next hour.
"Majeed Brigade, STOS, Fateh Squad, and ZIRAB Unit fighters are actively engaged in countermeasures, and any further military incursion will have catastrophic consequences.
"Over 100 enemy personnel remain in BLA custody. The occupying forces still have a chance to cease airstrikes and save their men, or else the Pakistani military will bear full responsibility for the execution of all hostages."
Officials at Pakistan Railways said the Jafar Express train was carrying an estimated 500 passengers, including women and children.
Trains in Balochistan typically have security personnel on board. Separatists have previously carried out deadly attacks on trains in the region.
Paramedics treat an injured passenger at the Mach railway station
Paramedics treat an injured passenger at the Mach railway station. Picture: Getty
In November, a separatist group carried out a suicide bombing at a railway station in Quetta which killed 26 people.
Oil and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest and least populated province. It is a hub for the country's ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government.
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Officials said the attackers blew up the railway track in volatile south-western Balochistan province and exchanged fire with security guards on board the train.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack and called for the immediate release of the hostages, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Paramilitary soldiers and police officers deploy at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents, in Mushkaf in Bolan district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo)
Paramilitary soldiers and police officers deploy at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents, in Mushkaf in Bolan district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo). Picture: Alamy