Karachi, March 11: Security forces rescued 80 passengers after suspected militants hijacked a passenger train in a tunnel in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Tuesday, according to a government spokesperson.
The Jaffar Express, carrying approximately 500 passengers in nine bogies, was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when armed men intercepted it in a tunnel near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday morning.
The gunmen opened fire at the train, injuring several passengers, and claimed to have taken over 100 people hostage. While 80 passengers were rescued, around 400 remained on the train, trapped inside the tunnel as security forces engaged in a gun battle with the militants.