Bolan, March 12 — The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed to have killed 50 hostages taken from a Peshawar-bound train near Bolan district on Tuesday. However, the reported death toll could not be independently verified.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, while addressing the provincial assembly, acknowledged the loss of lives but did not confirm numbers.
“We people have also been martyred, but we will share details later,” he said.
Pakistani forces have so far rescued over 300 hostages, but operations to free those still held captive are ongoing.
On Wednesday, the BLA issued a demand for the Pakistani government to release jailed militants in exchange for the remaining hostages.
Group spokesman Jeeyand Baloch stated that passengers would be freed if authorities complied. There has been no official response, though similar ultimatums have been rejected in the past.
China, a key ally of Pakistan, condemned the attack and reaffirmed its opposition to ‘terrorism’.
“We noted the reports and strongly condemn this terrorist attack,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, adding that Beijing is willing to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation with Islamabad.
