What Is Baloch Liberation Army? Baloch Militant Group Behind Pakistan Train Hijack — 10 Points

Baloch Liberation Army hijacked the train, with over 500 passengers onboard, near a tunnel between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar in Balochistan. The train was heading from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan.

By : ABP Live News | Updated at : 11 Mar 2025 06:18 PM (IST)

Baloch Liberation Army is banned in Pakistan and designated a terrorist group by the US.
Source : X

Baloch militants on Tuesday took control of a train in Pakistan and kept over 450 passengers as hostages in Balochistan province.

Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has claimed responsibility for the train hijack, said it "carried out a meticulously planned operation in Mashkaf, Dhadar, Bolan" where the militant blown up the railway track, forcing the Jaffar Express to come to a halt. 

The train, with over 500 passengers onboard, was stopped by armed militants in a tunnel between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar. The train was heading from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan. So far, no contact has been established with the 450 passengers and staff aboard Jafar Express, local reports said. 

BLA, the separatist group behind hijack, is a key insurgent group in Pakistan that emerged in the 2000s.

Here is all you need to know about the Baloch Liberation Army:

- The Baloch Liberation Army has waged an insurgency against the Pakistani government for over two decades, where it carried out several attacks against government forces.

- The group is based out of Balochistan, a province located in Pakistan's southwest and bordering on Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west.

- It has around 6,000 militants spread across the Balochistan Province and in bordering areas of Afghanistan.

- The groups seeks independence for Balochistan, which has witnessed a low-level insurgency and a brutal army crackdown for decades. 

- The BLA, considered the largest armed group in Balochistan, claims that the Pakistan government unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources.

- The BLA is a designated terrorist group by the US State Department in July, 2019.

- The Pakistani government has also banned the Baloch group since 2006. However, it remains "the most popular" militant organisation in Balochistan despite Pakistan's military’s crackdown.

- The militant group targets infrastructure projects and security posts in Balochistan and also carries out attacks in other parts of Pakistan.

- In August last year, the group was behind the attacks that led to the killing of more than 73 people when separatist militants attacked police stations, railway lines and highways. 

- The BLA also targets Chinese interests, in particular the strategic port of Gwadar, accusing Beijing of helping Pakistan to exploit the province. The group was linked to the death of two Chinese nationals in an explosion near the Karachi international airport in October last year.

Published at : 11 Mar 2025 06:18 PM (IST)
Tags :
Balochistan Baloch Liberation Army Pakistan Pakistan Train Hijack

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