Pakistan’s military has been locked in a deadly standoff for more than 24 hours with armed militants who hijacked a train and took hostages, marking a dramatic escalation in the region’s long-running insurgency.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group active in the mineral-rich southwestern province of Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The assault began when militants launched intense gunfire as the Jaffer Express traveled through a tunnel early in its journey from Quetta to Peshawar. The train was carrying approximately 450 passengers.
Security sources reported that the attackers used “women and children as shields” during the standoff. In response, Pakistan’s military launched a rescue operation, freeing 190 hostages and killing 30 militants by Wednesday afternoon. Video footage captured scenes of terrified but relieved passengers, including elderly women, men, and children, reuniting with their families. The exact number of remaining hostages remains unclear.
A rescued woman described the chaos as resembling the “Day of Judgement,” recounting how she fled gunfire and walked for two hours to safety. Another passenger, Mohammad Ashraf, estimated that over 100 armed militants were on board but stated that no harm was inflicted on women and children.
At least 10 civilians and security personnel have been killed, according to government and railway officials. Security sources further accused the militants of coordinating with handlers in Afghanistan—a claim Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has repeatedly denied.
A Growing Insurgency
Tuesday’s attack represents a significant escalation in the separatist insurgency, which seeks greater political autonomy and economic development in Balochistan. The region has long suffered from instability, with its predominantly ethnic Baloch population feeling marginalized and alienated from Pakistan’s federal government.
The insurgency has gained momentum in recent years, particularly after Pakistan leased Balochistan’s deep-water Gwadar port to China as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. The port—often touted as “the next Dubai”—has become a security flashpoint, with frequent bombings targeting Chinese workers.
Some analysts believe this latest attack signals an evolution in the insurgents’ strategy and tactics.
“The Pakistani state is failing to grasp that it’s no longer business as usual,” said Abdul Basit, a Senior Associate Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “The insurgency has evolved in both strategy and scale, yet Pakistan’s counterinsurgency approach remains stagnant.”
The BLA has been behind some of Pakistan’s deadliest attacks in the past year. In November, a suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta killed more than two dozen people, while an October attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers resulted in two deaths.
Following Tuesday’s attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to eradicate terrorism. “The targeting of innocent passengers during the blessed month of Ramadan shows that these terrorists have no connection with Islam, Pakistan, or Balochistan,” he said.
Experts warn that the attack demands immediate attention from Pakistan’s federal government.
“This incident has gained global attention and will alarm China, which has significant investments in Balochistan,” Basit said. “A major reset of Pakistan’s security approach is urgently needed.”
