A train carrying over 440 passengers was hijacked by militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in central Pakistan’s Bolan Pass on Tuesday. The attack, which lasted for over 30 hours, resulted in the deaths of at least 33 BLA militants, 21 civilian hostages, and an unknown number of passengers.
The train, carrying mostly women and children, was allowed to leave unharmed by the BLA militants, who also spared the lives of several injured passengers. However, scores of others were shot and killed during the attack, including a couple whose five daughters had been with them on the train.
Rescuers from the Pakistan military arrived at the scene on Wednesday morning, and after a brief shootout with the BLA militants, they managed to clear the area. The military has confirmed that it is still working to find passengers who escaped during the chaos and are trying to determine what happened to those who were taken by the militants.
The attack has left many questions unanswered, including what motivated the BLA militants to carry out such an attack and what happened to the remaining passengers who were on the train. The Pakistan government has promised to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice.
For now, survivors are just grateful to have escaped alive. “Thank God,” said one passenger, Mehboob Noor, who was released from his captors after they spared his life.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0d5y9ew24o