Forces rescue 190 hostages in Pakistan

Terror attack condemned amid efforts to get other train passengers released

Pakistan's security sources said on Wednesday the military had freed 190 train passengers taken hostage by gunmen on the second day of the siege in the mountainous southwest.

More than 450 passengers were on board when terrorists captured the train in a remote frontier district in Balochistan Province, with an unknown number of hostages still being held.

"So far, 190 passengers have been rescued, and 30 terrorists have been killed," security sources told AFP. "Due to the presence of women and children with suicide bombers, extreme caution is being exercised."

The assault was immediately claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, which released a video of an explosion on the track followed by dozens of militants emerging from mountainous hiding places and storming onto the carriages.

Hundreds of troops and teams in helicopters have been thrown into the effort to rescue the hostages from the area where the train was stopped.

However, militants with bombs strapped to their bodies were sitting next to other passengers, a security source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The militants have made some suicide bombers sit right next to some hostage passengers", complicating rescue efforts, he added.

Local media quoted government sources as saying the militants killed at least 10 people, including nine security personnel.

The train was heading from Balochistan's capital Quetta to Peshawar in the northwest when the militants launched the attack in Kacchi district, said Muhammad Kashif, a senior official of Pakistan Railways.

"The attack occurred in a mountainous region where communication is severely restricted due to the lack of mobile service," Kashif said.

The train driver was killed after suffering serious injuries, police and railway officials said.

Following the incident, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site. A full-scale security operation is underway to rescue the passengers and ensure their complete safety, according to Balochistan police and officials.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the terror attack. "Those who have attacked the passengers are standing against Balochistan and its values," Zardari said.

"The Baloch people denounce those who have attacked the passengers, elders and children. No religion or society teaches to commit such a heinous act."

He praised the security forces' commendable efforts in rescuing the passengers.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack and vowed to "bring the cowardly terrorists to justice".

Morale high

The "morale of the security forces is high despite the challenges", Sharif said, and the nation will continue the fight "till the end of the menace of terrorism".

"The entire nation is standing with the security forces against the war of terrorism," he said.

Earlier, railway officials confirmed that 57 rescued passengers were transported to Quetta in the early hours of Wednesday, while 23 others remained in Mach, a town in Balochistan.

The Balochistan government has declared an emergency and mobilized all relevant institutions to manage the situation, provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind said.

China strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Balochistan and expresses firm opposition to terrorism in any form, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

"We will continue to firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability, and protecting the safety of the people," she said. "China stands ready to strengthen counterterrorism and security cooperation with Pakistan and jointly keep the region peaceful, secure and stable."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also condemned the attack and the hostage-taking. He extended his sympathies to the government and people of Pakistan.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.

vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com