The Pakistani authorities released at least 190 passengers on Wednesday from the train that has been hijacked since Tuesday. It is unclear how many people are still on the train and what their health status is. The rescue operation would be made difficult because suicide bombers have joined the hostages. This is reported by the AFP news agency.
On Tuesday, seventy to eighty members of the Pakistani organization Beloetsjistan Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked a long -distance train with more than 450 passengers. The Jaffar Express left in the morning from the provincial capital Quetta to Peshawar, a ride of thirty hours through a large part of the country. Barely 150 kilometers after departure, the train staff was attacked.
According to authorities, the train was “fiercely under fire,” after which the vehicle put in a tunnel. The passengers were held for hours. Bla announced on Tuesday that he had released ‘citizens, in particular women, children and residents of Beloetsjistan’. Last year the Jaffar Express was attacked several times, after which Bla claimed the actions. To prevent repetition, the important route, with thirty intermediate stations throughout Pakistan, was temporarily out of use.
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BLA fights for independence from the southwestern province of Beloetsjistan, on the border between Afghanistan and Iran. The militia believes that residents of the region do not share enough in the proceeds of natural resources and minerals, which is rich in Beloetsjistan.