Pakistan Train Hijacking: 16 Militants Killed, Passengers Rescued in Balochistan

12th March 2025 at 9:40 AM

2 minutes read

A soldier works to evacuate freed train passengers at the Mach railway station, which has been turned into a makeshift hospital, after Pakistani security forces freed nearly 80 passengers following a security operation against armed militants who ambushed the train in the remote mountainous area, in Mach, southwestern Balochistan province on March 11, 2025. Pakistani troops freed dozens of train passengers taken hostage by armed militants of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group behind rising violence in the province which borders Afghanistan and Iran, after gunmen forced a train to a halt in a remote, mountainous area of Balochistan province in the afternoon of on March 11, 2025. — (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP)

Balochistan– A passenger train, the Jaffar Express, was hijacked by armed militants in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Tuesday, but security forces swiftly responded, killing at least 16 of the hijackers and rescuing 104 passengers.

The train, carrying approximately 400 people in nine carriages, was en route from Quetta to Peshawar when it was stopped by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants. The hijack took place inside a tunnel located near the mountainous area of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday afternoon.

A gun battle erupted between the militants and security forces, who launched an operation to free the hostages. As of the latest reports, 104 passengers, including women and children, have been successfully rescued. However, some passengers are believed to have been taken by the militants into the nearby mountains, and security forces are continuing their efforts to locate and rescue them.

The rescued passengers, comprising 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children, have been transported to the town of Mach in Balochistan via another train. Sources indicate that security forces have encircled the tunnel area to prevent any militants from escaping and to ensure the rescue of all remaining passengers.

Earlier reports from a Balochistan government spokesperson, Shahid Rind, stated that an initial 80 passengers had been freed, including 43 men, 26 women, and 11 children. Rind confirmed that security forces, including army units, were quickly deployed to the remote tunnel location after railway authorities reported the hijacking.

Pakistani media outlets reported heavy gunfire and explosions at the tunnel site during the security operation.

Rana Muhammad Dilawar, the local district police chief, mentioned that there were around four to five government officials among the passengers. While the BLA initially claimed to have captured numerous security personnel, authorities have not yet verified these claims.

Pakistan Railways has established emergency information desks at both Peshawar and Quetta railway stations to assist worried families seeking updates on passengers who were on the Jaffar Express. Train services to Peshawar from Quetta had recently resumed after being suspended for over a month and a half.

A senior Peshawar Railway Station official, Tariq Mahmood, urged the public to rely on official information and disregard unverified rumors circulating online and elsewhere.

This hijacking is not an isolated incident in the region. Last November, a suicide bombing at the Quetta railway station resulted in 26 deaths and 62 injuries, leading to a temporary suspension of train services.