Pakistan militants attack train carrying hundreds of passengers

A train carrying hundreds of passengers has been attacked and halted by armed militants in Pakistan's Balochistan region.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) confirmed it had attacked the Jaffar Express Train which was travelling from Quetta to Rawalpindi.

A statement from the group said it had bombed the track before storming the train in remote Sibi district. It claimed the train was under its control.

Pakistani police told local reporters that they had received information that three people, including the train driver, had been injured in the attack.

Police added that security forces had been sent to the scene of the attack.

A Balochistan government spokesman told local newspaper Dawn that there were reports of "intense firing" at the train.

The BLA claims that it is holding a number of passengers including security officers hostage, and has warned of "severe consequences" if an attempt is made to rescue those it is holding.

However, officials have not yet confirmed that anyone is being held hostage.

A senior police official from the area bordering Sibi said "the train remains stuck just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains", AFP news agency reports.

Meanwhile the country's interior minister Mohsin Nawaz has condemned the attack and said he prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.

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