Pakistani authorities said an insurgent attack on a train carrying hundreds of people has ended, but said some hostages have been killed by the militants. ITV News’ Correspondent Neil Connery has the latest.
Insurgents who attacked a passenger train carrying 440 passengers in restive southwestern Pakistan killed 21 hostages before security forces killed all 33 of the assailants, and all other passengers were rescued, officials said Wednesday.
Officials said the operation has now concluded following a daylong standoff, adding that over 300 hostages had been rescued. The authorities did not say how many hostages had been killed.
More than 50 separatist militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which claimed responsibility for the attack, were also killed.
Officials say the BLA blew up the tracks in the tunnel that the Jafer Express train was passing through, forcing the engine and nine coaches to stop, before the group hijacked the carriages.
It was travelling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar at the time of the attack.
Pakistan’s military launched an operation to confront the attackers who used “women and children as shields,” security sources told ITV News’ US partner CNN.
• Subscribe to ITV News on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2lOHmNj
• Get breaking news and more stories at http://www.itv.com/news
Follows ITV News on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@itvnews?lang=en
Follow ITV News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itvnews/
Follow ITV News on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itvnews/
Follow ITV News on Twitter: https://twitter.com/itvnews
