INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
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.Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said
guarding the railroad track were also killed in the attack that began Tuesday in restive Balochistan province, the military spokesman, Lt
Ahmad Sharif, told local media.The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for attacking the train in a tunnel in a remote part of
Spokesman Jeeyand Baloch had said the group was ready to free passengers if authorities agreed to release jailed militants.The BLA regularly
targets Pakistani security forces and has also attacked civilians, including Chinese nationals among the thousands working on
been traveling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar
Officials say the Jafer Express train was partially inside a tunnel when the militants blew up the tracks, forcing the engine and nine
government.Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and has long been the scene of insurgency
Iran has sought help from Pakistan in countering the threat from the militant group Jaish al-Adl
Pakistan wants Tehran to deny sanctuaries to BLA fighters.What did the hijackers want?Members of the military frequently use trains to
would be at risk if the government did not negotiate
shifted its targets from military to unarmed civilians
This may give them instant public and media attention, but it will weaken their support base within the civilian population, which is their
children, were being sent to their hometowns
