A train carrying 500 passengers has been taken hostage by separatists from the Baloch Liberation Army in southwestern Pakistan's Balochistan province.
This is reported by local authorities. The Jaffar Express train was traveling from Peshawar to Quetta when it was attacked. The army initially intervened, but was repelled by the separatists who issued a warning.
"If the airstrike does not stop, we will continue to kill the hostages within the next hour," said the spokesman, Jeeyand Baloch.
The attackers reportedly blew up a railway line before opening fire on the train. The train driver was injured and security guards on board the train tried to respond by opening fire, but to no avail.
The attack was claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group that has waged a years-long insurgency in Pakistan. Trains in Balochistan usually have security personnel on board, as separatists have carried out deadly attacks on trains and security forces in the region in the past.
In November, the separatist group carried out a suicide attack on a railway station in Quetta, killing 26 people, including security forces, railway staff and passengers. (A2 Televizion)
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