A separatist group called the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for seizing and firing upon the Jaffar Express in an area named Dhadar in Balochistan’s Bolan Pass in Pakistan.

The insurgent group has warned that the hostages will be executed if a military operation is launched, also claiming that the assault has been jointly carried out by its specialised units – the Majeed Brigade, STOS and Fateh Squad.

“So far, six military personnel have been killed,” the militant group said in a statement, adding that hundreds of passengers remain as hostages. The government of Pakistan is yet to issue a statement on the matter.

According to a BLA spokesperson, women and children have been released during this operation, while more than a hundred people are in the custody of the BLA, who are personnel of Pakistani forces.

The BLA statement reads, “The Baloch Liberation Army has carried out a meticulously planned operation in Mashkaf, Dhadar, Bolan, where our freedom fighters have blown up the railway track, forcing the Jaffar Express to come to a halt. The fighters swiftly took control of the train, holding all passengers hostage.”

Warning of “severe consequences”, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said, “The BLA issues a clear warning that if the occupying forces attempt any military operation, the consequences will be severe. All hundreds of hostages will be executed, and the responsibility for this bloodshed will lie solely with the occupying forces. This operation is being conducted jointly by the Majeed Brigade, STOS, and Fateh Squad — specialized units of the BLA. Any military incursion will be met with an equally forceful response. So far, six military personnel have been killed, and hundreds of passengers remain under BLA custody. The Baloch Liberation Army takes full responsibility for this operation.