ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has announced that the hostages taken by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) from a train have been released. The military successfully rescued the passengers after conducting an airstrike and other operations. The hostages have been moved to a temporary hospital in Machh. The Ministry of Defence announced that the standoff with the separatist group, who had held the train passengers captive, has now concluded. Several Pakistani soldiers are reported to have been killed during the clash, although the exact number of hostages killed remains unclear. Reports suggest that over 300 hostages were freed during the operation.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the BLA had claimed that 30 security personnel were killed in the conflict and stated that the hostages would only be released if Baloch political prisoners held in Pakistani jails were freed within 24 hours.

The Balochistan Liberation Army, which advocates for an independent Balochistan, hijacked the Jaffer Express on Tuesday, taking over 450 passengers hostage. Among those held were army personnel, police officers, and members of the intelligence agency ISI, all spread across nine carriages. However, women and children were released the day before the operation.

The train, traveling from Quetta in Balochistan to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was hijacked at around 9 AM on Tuesday in the Mushkaf area of Bolan district, a mountainous region. The attack took place near a tunnel, where the train was forced to stop. It is believed that the insurgents specifically targeted this train, which was carrying security personnel returning home on leave. In response to the incident, the Pakistani government has declared a state of emergency in the region.