Latest news with #BalochistanLiberationArmy
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
One injured as explosion derails three coaches of Jaffar Express train in Pakistan's south
ISLAMABAD: At least one person was injured when an explosion derailed three coaches of the Jaffar Express train in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, Pakistan's state media reported on Monday. The train, which was en route to Quetta from Peshawar, derailed in Sindh's Shkarpur district after the explosion damaged part of the railway track, the APP news agency reported, citing Sukkur Divisional Superintendent of Railways Jamshaid Alam. The incident forced authorities to suspend train operations on Monday evening. 'Teams from Sukkur were summoned to start repairing work after the incident,' the report read. 'It may take up to further five hours to restore the track.' This is the second incident involving Jaffar Express since it resumed operations in March, following a rare hijacking by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) separatist militants in March with 400 passengers aboard. The hijacking in the rugged Bolan mountain range ended on March 12 after an hours-long military operation that killed 33 militants and rescued hostages. The standoff also left 23 soldiers, three railway staff and five passengers dead. In June, the train narrowly avoided a disaster, when a bogie of its power van derailed near Shikarpur's Mandi Phatak area, according to the APP report. The provincial government has ordered an investigation into Monday's explosion. Pakistan's railway system faces frequent derailments due to poor maintenance and militant attacks targeting rail tracks, especially in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. These incidents underscore an urgent need for infrastructure and security upgrades across the rail network.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Pakistani security forces kill three militants linked to 2024 attack on Chinese in Karachi
Pakistani security forces in an overnight raid killed three suspected militants accused of orchestrating last year's attack in which two Chinese nationals working in a textile mill in the southern port city of Karachi were wounded, officials said on Monday. Azad Khan, a senior official with the Counter-Terrorism Department, said the dead insurgents included the alleged mastermind of the November 2024 attack. He identified that person only as Zafran and said he was from the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. China has repeatedly pressed Pakistan to improve security for its nationals working on major infrastructure projects under Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which include roads, railways and power plants. Chinese nationals have increasingly come under attack by militant groups, including TTP and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army — banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States. Pakistan has pledged to bolster security measures for Chinese workers, including those employed at private factories. Meanwhile, at least seven people were killed the previous day in Tirah Valley, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Fiaz Khan, a local government official, said. He said the violence erupted when hundreds of residents gathered outside a military camp to demand protection and justice after a child was killed in a mortar attack on the weekend. The crowd came under gunfire from 'unknown gunmen,' Khan said. He said the demonstrators accused security forces of opening fire when some people were throwing stones at the military camp, but police had yet to determine whose bullets caused the deaths. Khan said gunfire was also reported from nearby hills, and police suspect TTP may have been behind the shooting to sow discord between residents and the military. The government has ordered a probe into the killings of demonstrators, he said.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Pakistani security forces kill 3 militants linked to 2024 attack on Chinese in Karachi
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces in an overnight raid killed three suspected militants accused of orchestrating last year's attack in which two Chinese nationals working in a textile mill in the southern port city of Karachi were wounded, officials said on Monday. Azad Khan, a senior official with the Counter-Terrorism Department, said the dead insurgents included the alleged mastermind of the November 2024 attack. He identified that person only as Zafran and said he was from the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. China has repeatedly pressed Pakistan to improve security for its nationals working on major infrastructure projects under Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which include roads, railways and power plants. Chinese nationals have increasingly come under attack by militant groups, including TTP and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army — banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States. Pakistan has pledged to bolster security measures for Chinese workers, including those employed at private factories. Meanwhile, at least seven people were killed the previous day in Tirah Valley, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Fiaz Khan, a local government official, said. He said the violence erupted when hundreds of residents gathered outside a military camp to demand protection and justice after a child was killed in a mortar attack on the weekend. The crowd came under gunfire from 'unknown gunmen,' Khan said. He said the demonstrators accused security forces of opening fire when some people were throwing stones at the military camp, but police had yet to determine whose bullets caused the deaths. Khan said gunfire was also reported from nearby hills, and police suspect TTP may have been behind the shooting to sow discord between residents and the military. The government has ordered a probe into the killings of demonstrators, he said. ___ Associated Press writer Riaz Khan contributed to this story from Peshawar, Pakistan.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan vows to eliminate ‘Indian-sponsored' militants amid Balochistan insurgency spike
QUETTA: Pakistan on Saturday vowed to bring what it described as 'Indian-sponsored' militants to justice, as federal and provincial leaders met in Quetta to address a growing wave of insurgent attacks in Balochistan, the country's largest and most volatile province. Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is strategically significant due to its vast mineral resources and its role as a transit hub for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). However, the province has long been plagued by a separatist insurgency, with militant groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) intensifying their attacks in recent years. Islamabad describes these groups as proxies for Indian intelligence, branding them 'Fitna-e-Hindustan', or India's mischief. New Delhi denies any nexus with these groups. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti held a high-level law and order meeting to review the ongoing counterterror operations and the implementation of a new Provincial Action Plan aimed at stabilizing the region. 'Indian-sponsored terrorists and their facilitators have no place to hide in Pakistan and will be brought to justice at all costs,' Naqvi said while chairing the meeting, according to an official statement. 'Those challenging the writ of the state will be dealt with an iron hand.' The interior minister said the federal government stood 'shoulder to shoulder' with the Balochistan government in its war, adding that full coordination exists between national and provincial authorities. Bugti briefed the meeting on Balochistan's Provincial Action Plan, which he also mentioned earlier this month. He noted that it focused on intelligence-led operations, faster threat response, and outreach to disaffected youth. It also highlighted bureaucratic and operational bottlenecks that have hindered previous efforts. 'This war is not only the responsibility of the security forces but of the entire nation,' he said. 'The sacrifices of our people and institutions will not go in vain.' Balochistan has witnessed several high-profile militant attacks since the beginning of the year. Among them, a passenger train hijack by the BLA in March and a suicide bombing in May targeting a school bus in Khuzdar that killed several children made international headlines. The separatist insurgents also routinely target security forces, civilians, and non-local workers in coordinated and targeted attacks.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Pakistan urges social media platforms to block banned militant accounts
Pakistan on Friday urged global social media companies to take action to block hundreds of accounts allegedly run by outlawed militant groups that Islamabad claims spread propaganda and glorify insurgents in the South Asian country. According to Pakistan's Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry, groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States have been using X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to promote violence in Pakistan. Chaudhry, who spoke to reporters at a news conference, urged the tech companies to remove or disable these accounts, as well as those run by supporters of the militant groups. Deputy Law Minister Aqeel Malik, who also spoke at the news conference, said Pakistani investigators have identified 481 accounts associated with the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA. The accounts were being used to incite violence and spread hate speech, Malik said. There was no immediate response from any of the social media platforms to Pakistan's request. Pakistan itself has in recent years blocked access to X, primarily to curb criticism from supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan but also voices of other dissenters. The plea comes amid a surge in violence across Pakistan, much of it blamed on the two militant groups, as well as the Islamic State group. The Pakistani Taliban are allies but a separate militant group from the Afghan Taliban. However, the Taliban takeover of neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021 has emboldened the TTP. Militant groups also heavily rely on social media platforms to claim responsibility for attacks against security forces and civilians in Pakistan. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
