Pakistan train attack survivors 'crouched for hours' to survive

QUETTA, Pakistan — Hostages freed after a day-long ordeal following an attack by militants on a train in Pakistan's Balochistan province described crouching on the floor for hours before their release, as the bodies of 25 people killed arrived in Quetta.

The separatist Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack on the Jaffar Express, during which they blew up train tracks and held passengers hostage in a day-long standoff with security services in a remote mountain pass.

Pakistan's military said it had killed 33 attackers and that the siege had ended, but the claim was refuted by the BLA, which said in a Thursday statement that it still had hostages and the battle with security services was ongoing.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the BLA claims.

Men armed with rocket launchers, guns, and other weapons stormed the train and began shooting people, said Arslan Yousaf, one of several rescued hostages who arrived in regional capital Quetta on Thursday, escorted by security forces.

The militants grouped the passengers on the basis of their region of origin, Yousaf added.

"Sometimes, they took soldiers ... and executed them," he said, referring to passengers from the Pakistan Army and other security forces who were travelling on leave.

"Other times, they targeted specific individuals. If they had a grudge against someone, they shot him on the spot."

Hostages only given water

The hostages survived only on water during the time they were held, said Muhammad Tanveer, another passenger.

The BLA are fighting a decades-long insurgency to win independence for the mineral-rich province, home to major China-led projects such as a port and a gold and copper mine.

A total of 21 hostages and four