Pakistan security forces Tuesday evening claim they have killed 17 BLA separatists and rescued 104 of the passenger taken hostage by terrorists earlier in the day

BLA countered that they have killed 30 government soldiers and downed a drone

On Tuesday afternoon separatist militants killed 10 and took 450 passenger hostage, after hijacking a train in the city of Sibi, in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province

Claiming responsibility, the separatist Baloch Liberation Army threatened to execute all the hostages, if the Pakistani authorities attempt to intervene

Described as volatile, oil and mineral rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province, with 44% of the land area, but remains the least populated and poorest province

Minority insurgency groups, BLA is the largest, accusing the central government of inequity, unfairly exploiting the region’s oil and gas, have waged a decades-long battle against authorities

Separatist militants attacked the Jaffar Express Train, [photo], in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, Tuesday. The train was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The driver was injured while 450 passengers were taken hostage.

The separatist Baloch Liberation Army, BLA, has threatened to execute all the hostages it has in its custody if the Pakistani authorities attempt to intervene after a terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express Train.
Officials of the government railway corporation said Separatist militants killed at least 10 people including the train driver, after hijacking a train carrying hundreds of passengers on Tuesday.
The militants also took 450 passengers hostage during a the hijack in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, officials said.
By evening Tuesday, government security forces had surrounded the terrorists and exchanged gunfire, with security sources saying the militants were using ‘women and children and shields.’
With the latest update during the ongoing operation against terrorist of BLA at the Jaffar Express hijack, a total of 104 passengers have been rescued, with 17 militants killed.
The BLA on their part claim they have killed 30 government soldiers and shot down a drone.

Decades-old insurgency in Balochistan Province by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the govt, army and Chinese interests in the region, pressing for a share in its resources. Security officials inspect vehicles in Balochistan following the attack.

Officials said the Jaffar Express was bound for Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa coming from Quetta in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province when it came under the terrorist attack.
The train was trapped inside a tunnel after the attack, during which it came under fire and the driver was wounded, according to police.
‘Over 450 passengers onboard are being held hostage by gunmen,’ Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway government official revealed while speaking to reporters in the provincial capital Quetta, explained. 
The BLA released a statement claiming responsibility for the hijacking, adding that they killed six military personnel in the gunfight.
The militants claim the hostages from the train, include members of the security forces.
‘During this operation, BLA fighters have released women, children, and Baloch passengers, ensuring that all remaining hostages are serving personnel of the occupying forces,’ the group said in a statement.
No contact has been established with the 450 passengers and staff aboard the nine-coach train, railway officials told local media. 
The Balochistan government called the attack an act of terrorism, adding that investigations were underway. 
Halted in a mountainous region making it easier for militants to have hideouts and plan attacks, the Jaffar Express came under heavy gunfire. However, due to the difficult terrain in the area it was been difficult for authorities to reach the scene on time.
A senior police official confirmed that the train remained stuck just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains. Security forces are combing the area and a relief train has been dispatched to the scene, officials said.

Security was intensified following a suspected militant attack on a passenger train in Sibi, in Balochistan province. Pakistani security stand guard at a checkpoint after the train attack by terrorists. The BLA has claimed responsibility for the attack in in the volatile province

Decades-old insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region, pressing demands for a share in its resources.
Described as volatile, oil and mineral rich Balochistan, is Pakistan’s largest province , 44% of the land area, but also least populated province.
Balochistan remains Pakistan’s poorest province, with little of the proceeds from the natural resources filtering down to people in what It is also the hub for the country’s ethnic Baloch minority whose grouse includes systemic discrimination and exploitation by the central government.
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The BLA separatist group, [photo], seeks independence for Balochistan, ‘because the govt unfairly exploits the region’s rich gas and mineral resources. It is one of the biggest among several separatist groups in the decades-long struggle with the govt

This has given rise to several minority based movements, such as BLA, who have accused the central government of inequity – unfairly exploiting the region’s oil and gas resources without channeling any of the proceeds back to the region.
Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the attack and said the government would not make any concessions to ‘beasts who fire on innocent passengers’.
The Balochistan provincial government imposed emergency measures to deal with the situation.
Trains in Balochistan typically have security personnel on board as separatists have previously carried out deadly attacks on trains and security forces in the region. BLA, the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled Pakistan’s government for decades, seeks independence for Balochistan and reportedly, has been responsible for the deadliest attacks in Pakistan in the past year.