An appalling demonstration of the fragile law and order situation in the province of Balochistan in Pakistan, the Train Hijack came when the Jaffar Express passenger train hijacked by BLA militants, leaving a trail of destruction and standoffs with security.
The Incident of Hijacking
On the 11th of March, 2025, in the Bolan district of Balochistan, BLA sent its militants to ambush the Jaffar Express coming from Quetta to Peshawar with about 450 passengers. The attackers sabotaged the railway tracks, stopped the train, and then showered it with gunfire from rocket launchers. The militants managed to access the train, separated male from female passengers, and took away a large number of hostages believed to be security personnel.
Claims Given by the Militants and Executions of Hostage
Claiming that the group had fought for better autonomy for Balochistan, the BLA announced that it had carried out the attack. Thus, it demanded the release of Baloch political prisoners and activists, threatening to execute the hostages if its demands were not met within 48 hours. Sticking to its threats, the BLA declared it had executed 50 hostages in retaliation for the military operations against it.
Response Pakistani Security Forces
The Pakistani security forces intervened and launched a rescue operation that ended on March 12. The military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry claimed that 21 hostages and all 33 insurgents were killed in the operation. According to him, a systematic “bogey to bogey” sweep of the train was carried out by the forces to ensure the safety of the remaining passengers.
However, the BLA claimed execution of 50 hostages for the government’s failure to fulfill their demand for the release of Baloch political prisoners and activists. Independent verification of these claims is not present.
The activities of the BLA fall under a long-lasting separatist insurgency in the resource-full but conflict-riven Balochistan, alleged by the BLA to suffer governmental discrimination and resource exploitation. The group has targeted security forces, civilians, and infrastructure projects, including ones involving Chinese nationals.
This event highlights the ongoing security concerns in Balochistan while displaying the complexities encountered by the Pakistani authorities to deal with separatist insurgencies while protecting civilians in this region.
