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Muhammad Amin
Balochistan separatists are holding 450 passengers hostage after detonating charges on a railway track and taking control of a train in Pakistan’s isolated Sibi district.
Muhammad Kashif, a railway government official in Quetta, confirmed the train was being held by gunmen. A senior police official said the train was stranded just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains.
The steep ravines in the region mean prospects of special forces launching a surprise raid, particularly from the air, are extremely limited.
The rugged terrain has always made Balochistan a difficult part of Pakistan to police. Straddled between Pakistan and Iran, it should probably be an independent country, but neither of the two bordering countries wish for that.,
Nearby hospitals are on emergency alert, police said.
The Balochistan Liberation Army took responsibility for the attack, claiming six government soldiers were killed in the attack.
Security personnel are reportedly among the passengers being held hostage.
“During this operation, BLA fighters have released women, children, and Baloch passengers, ensuring that all remaining hostages are serving personnel of the occupying forces,” the group said in their statement
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