Militants Hijack Train in Pakistan, Take Over 100 Passengers Hostage

Armed militants attacked a train in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, taking over 450 passengers hostage and injuring the train driver.

Reports said that separatist militants took nearly 450 passengers hostage, including children and. It later released civilian hostages and still more than 100 people in captivity, including military personnel, as per few media reports. Some media outlets reported that around 180 hostages are still in captivity, but exact numbers are not yet known.

The assault occurred in Bolan district as the train traveled from Quetta to Peshawar, government spokesman Shahid Rind confirmed. 

Following the driver’s injury, the train came to a halt in a remote area, leaving passengers vulnerable. Authorities have dispatched reinforcements to the site, but the exact situation remains unclear. An emergency has been declared in hospitals in nearby Sibi. 

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group engaged in a long-running insurgency, has claimed responsibility. The group issued a warning that any military intervention would result in the execution of all hostages, holding authorities accountable for the potential bloodshed. 

The train, which departed from Quetta around 9:00 a.m. for a 30-hour journey to Peshawar, was intercepted mid-route. Security forces are assessing their response as tensions escalate over the hostage crisis.