What’s behind the surge in attacks and train hijacking in Pakistan’s restive southwest?

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s neglected southwestern province of Balochistan has been the scene of a yearslong insurgency, with a dramatic uptick in attacks in recent years underscoring the struggles the government in Islamabad faces in dealing with myriad security threats.

However, the hijacking of a passenger train on Tuesday was the first time the outlawed Baluch Liberation Army, or BLA, carried out such a large-scale operation, taking hundreds of people aboard the train hostage and battling Pakistani security forces to a standoff on Wednesday.

Islamabad-based independent analyst Abdullah Khan told The Associated Press the train hijacking was the worst attack to date by the BLA — and predicted the country will be shocked when the final details surface, including the number of casualties, which he expects to be high.

At least 30 militants were killed in initial exchanges of gunfire around the Jafer Express since the BLA attacked the train. By late Wednesday, security forces had rescued 190 of the 450 passengers who were initially on the train, according to officials.

Who are the separatists and what are they fighting for?

Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province and the country’s least populated. It’s also a hub for the country’s ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination by the government.

The separatists have fought since the early 2000s for autonomy — if not outright independence — from Islamabad and for a greater share of natural resources that the undeveloped province abounds in, such as natural gas, oil and minerals.

Over the years, the BLA has grown in strength, prompting some analysts to say the group today compares to the Pakistani Taliban in terms of the threat it poses for the country.

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