The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group, attacked and held hostage the Jaffar Express, a passenger train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan between March 11 and 12.

According to a report by AFP, at the start of the attack, the militants detonated explosives on the tracks in the Bolan district of Balochistan province, immobilising the train and taking over 450 passengers hostage, including security personnel. The hijacking and the unprecedented media spectacle which saw the BLA releasing several statements, video clips and audio recordings documenting the crisis underscores the escalating insurgency and separatist movement in Balochistan and poses significant challenges to Pakistan's internal security.

The BLA's operation was likely meticulously planned as indicated from the length of time the militants were able to hold off highly capable ‘tip of the spear’ Pakistani security forces. According to a report in the Times of India citing Pakistani officials, after halting the train militants armed with suicide vests positioned themselves among the hostages, complicating rescue efforts. However, according to testimony of released hostages, the BLA released nearly 190 of the hostages on the first day including women, children and the elderly. The Pakistani military responded with a limited ground assault to rescue the remaining hostages.

However after suffering 27 casualties, aerial military assets including at least one Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV) was used to engage the BLA. Over two days of intense combat, 33 militants were killed and 21 hostages too lost their lives during the operation. The militants demanded the release of imprisoned Baloch political activists and threatened to execute hostages if their demands were not met - however there is no evidence that any hostage executions actually took place before all the militants were eliminated by Pakistani security forces.

The group not only managed to paint a sympathetic picture through its engagement in the information sphere but also tactically humiliated the Pakistani security establishment in more tangible terms. The BLA's insurgency is rooted in longstanding grievances over political autonomy and resource distribution. Balochistan, rich in natural resources, remains Pakistan's poorest province, fueling resentment among the Baloch population. The BLA's demands for greater control over these resources and political self-determination have led to a protracted conflict with the Pakistani state. This attack represents a significant escalation in the BLA's tactics.

Historically, the group has targeted security forces and infrastructure but has also attacked state representatives it saw as collaborationists, including Chinese nationals involved in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The hijacking of a passenger train marks a bold and alarming development in their operational strategy - which represents a blend of modern hybrid warfare tactics and conventional activities associated with organised crime in the Indian subcontinent in the previous centuries.

The BLA's insurgency has persisted for decades, with cycles of violence and relative calm. Previous attempts at political solutions have faltered, often due to mutual distrust and unmet promises. However, if the familiar pattern of insurgencies and security forces's response to it in Pakistan’s other unstable Pakthunwala province bordering Afghanistan is anything to go by, it offers little hope that Balochistan could either separate or stabilise in the near future.