The News
A major rescue operation to free hundreds of hostages held by Pakistan’s separatist Balochistan Liberation Army has ended with dozens killed.
Pakistan’s security services said late Wednesday they had rescued around 190 hostages after separatists hijacked a train Tuesday afternoon in south-western Pakistan. Officials said 21 hostages were killed, along with 33 militants.
The Balochistan Liberation Army, which seeks independence for a border region between Afghanistan and Iran, had attempted to use captive passengers to negotiate the release of imprisoned group members and activists, whom they claim were abducted by the military.
Pakistan launched an air and land offensive to take back control of the captured train — which was carrying around 450 passengers — though the efforts had been hindered by the remote, mountainous terrain, The Guardian wrote.
The region has suffered a spate of violence in recent years, with more than 2,500 civilians killed in terror attacks across Pakistan in 2024. Heavy-handed countermeasures against insurgent groups have exacerbated tensions between Islamabad and the region, the Financial Times reported.