The country’s army has rescued 104 passengers held hostage by militants on a hijacked train in Balochistan, Pakistan. At least 16 militants have been killed in the operation.
According to media reports, the operation was ongoing at the time of writing.
Earlier on Tuesday, several militants stopped the train by detonating bombs and firing bullets on the railway tracks and taking passengers hostage.
According to the report, security forces have launched an operation on the Zafar Express in Balan district of Balochistan. 104 hostages have been rescued in the operation. In addition, 16 militants have been killed in the operation. Among the rescued, 58 are men, 31 are women and 15 are children. In addition, 17 injured passengers have been taken to a local hospital for treatment. The operation to rescue the remaining passengers is ongoing.
The Zafar Express train left Quetta for Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There were more than 400 passengers in nine coaches on the train.
Geo News, citing security sources, reported that the militants were divided into small groups after the security forces’ operation.
The attackers are using satellite phones for their international communication.
It is learnt that the militants are in constant touch with their mastermind in Afghanistan and are using women and children as human shields. The remoteness of the area is also making the operation more difficult.
Before attacking the train, the militants had detonated a bomb on the railway tracks. Security forces said that they opened fire on the locomotive, injuring the driver. The train stopped before a tunnel. They took control of the train in the remote mountainous area of the border region between Afghanistan and Iran.
Source: Express Tribune, Geo News