Deadly Pakistani Pakistani Following Refund: What happened and what’s next? | News of the conflict

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani security forces are locked in what they describe as a “complex operation” against a group of separatists who attacked the train earlier on Tuesday. The train traveled from Quette, the capital of the province of the southwestern Province of Balochistan, to Peshawar, the capital of the province of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The fighters who belonged to the liberation army of Baloch (Bla), a separatist group seeking a secession of Balochistan from Pakistan, took responsibility for the attack.

They aimed at Jaffar Express as the train passed through a series of tunnels near Sibi City, about 160 km (100 miles) from Quette.

Although security sources said their military surgery was ongoing, the authorities also confirmed that a group of passengers had safely broke to a smaller station near the location of the attack.

Early Farrukh, an official of Pakistani Railways in Quetti, said that nearly 70 passengers, including women, children and the elderly, reached the Panir train station, about 6 km (4 miles) from the scene.

“The trip ended on foot, after the railway,” Farrukh told Al Jazeera, without giving further details about the passengers.

The train was passing the area of ​​the passage, which is rough, the mountain region, when it was attacked.

Here’s what we know so far about the attack, the current situation and which is the background that is behind the decade of conflict between the separatist groups and the Pakistani state in Balochistan.

What happened to Jaffar Express?

The train wore more than 400 passengers, including many women and children, as well as dozens of security staff.

On Tuesday morning, she left Quette at 9:00 (04:00 GMT), embarking on a journey of more than 1,600 KM (994 miles) through a charging to reach the end destination in Peshawar. The journey lasts about 30 hours, with a stop at about 30 cells across the country.

Railway officials said the attack occurred at about 1:00 pm (08:00 GMT) as the train passed through the passage pain. The area is home to several tunnels, originally built during the British colonial rule.

Who took responsibility and how did the government answered?

Bla, which has performed numerous attacks in the province in the last few years, has taken responsibility for the attack.

In a statement, the group claimed that they had killed at least six military staff and blew up the railway, forcing the train to stop. Black warned that every military surgery would have “severe consequences” in the answer. The attackers claimed that the travelers on the train were now hostages – although dozens of passengers later reached panic.

So far, the Pakistani army has not issued any official statements regarding the claims, and did not respond to Al Jazeere’s inquiries.

Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Provincial Government, said the authorities imposed emergencies in hospitals in Sibia, the closest city, basically putting all medical experts there to attend all the victims of the attack.

Government officials also strongly condemned the attack. The Minister of the Interior Mohsin Naqvi also expressed prayers for the recovery of the injured.

“The beasts shooting on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions,” said Naqvi’s statement.

What do we know about the victims and how does the Government suit?

Hospitals in Quetti and Sibi have been on a lot of standby, but no injuries have been brought to a late Tuesday night.

Railway officials said that mobile connection on remote, robust terrain almost does not exist, which makes it difficult to update in a timely manner.

Security sources claim that attackers use some women and children as human shields, preventing a completely offensive against them.

Authorities also warned of an online campaign of misinformation aimed at spreading panic.

Why did the Balochistan attack increase?

Balochistan is the largest Pakistan province in the area, but the least developed, with a population of 15 million people.

Although rich in minerals and natural resources, including copper and gas, the province has long been a conflict between the local population and the government.

Baloch separatists, who require independence from Pakistan, accuse the state of abduction and persecute those who oppose it.

The Chinese-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a mega-development project of $ 62 billion launched about ten years ago, added another layer of complexity to the conflict.

Black has made numerous attacks on Chinese interests, including in Gwadar Port, a leading CPEC project. Several Chinese citizens were killed in these attacks.

In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed a dramatic bump of violence. Last month, at least 18 soldiers were killed in the attack by Black Kalat. Earlier in March, the suicide bomber detonated, also in Calata, killing a law clerk.

Jaffar Express has also been targeted several times. Last year, Bla Fighters blew up part of the trail, stopping the train service for two months.

In November, a suicide bombing at the Quetta train station was targeted on the train just before leaving, killing at least 30 people, including security staff.

How did Bla improve his capabilities?

Analysts believe that the growing power of Bla -reflects the failure of the state to counteract the fighters blah -a his reliance on outdated strategies.

Malik Siraj Akbar, an expert on Balochistan based in Washington, DC, said that Bla was developed from the implementation of small attacks, such as aiming for individuals or sabotaging pipelines, to large operations.

“The group now takes big attacks, such as a recent passenger train attack. This shift reflects his increasing courage and confidence that the government lacks the ability to restrain them, let alone follow them effectively after such terrorist works,” Akbar told Al Jazeera.

Rafiullah Kakar, a political analyst specializing in Balokistan’s questions, said he had been muddy with his command structure, giving a field militants more direct control over surgery.

“In addition, access to advanced weapons, some of which are other US forces in Afghanistan, enhanced the fiery strength of the group, making their attacks more deadly and sophisticated,” Kakar told Al Jazeera.

Why did the state failed to suppress the rise of blah?

In January, Islamabad, based in Islamabad, the Institute for Miric Studies (Pips) warned that the situation in Balokistan was “alarming”. His report states that 119 percent of the attack increase, with more than 150 incidents recorded last year.

The state has announced plans for a large military campaign in Balochistan, but it has yet to be accomplished.

However, Akbar says that, after such attacks, the state has repeatedly launched military operations – with these conflicts that often target innocent Baloch civilians, without evidence that connects them to Blane or rebellion.

“The Government seems more to care for optics than justice, given that the job has been done after it takes on several dead bodies on the camera, claiming it is quickly retaliation,” he said.

He also claimed that the army was in a disadvantage in retaliating against a fighter in Balochistan.

“Blago has top notch knowledge, while security forces, mostly coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, have no knowledge of the earth and route. It gives the rebels a great advantage, “Akbar said, adding that the army had suffered from a failure of intelligence.

Can the Government stop blah -and a re -ascent?

Kakar, who is a doctorate at the University of Cambridge, claimed that the exacerbating security situation comes not only from the failure of intelligence, but from the increasing unrelated link between state and Baloch citizens.

“Over the past decade, the Province has become a laboratory for political engineering led by a military institution, with six different major ministers in 10 years, excluding the nursing settings,” he said.

This instability, he added, violated the democratic processes, undergoing a parliamentary policy as a sustainable means of political struggle.

“The biggest users of this growing division of state Citizen were Baloch rebels, who were increasingly able to employ young men who were ready to embark on suicide missions,” Kakar said.

Akbar agreed, claiming that the state refused to treat Baloch’s population with dignity.

“Islamabad relies on a provincial administration that acts as a puppet of army, pushing propaganda to convince the world that there is no crisis in the Balokistan and that the state remains firmly in control,” he said.

Additional reporting Saadullah Akhtar from Quette, Pakistan