The train hijacking in south-western Pakistan represents a major escalation in the region’s long-running insurgency.

The BLA is one of the largest militant outfits demanding independence for Balochistan. It is designated as a terrorist group by Pakistan as well as the US.

The Balochistan Liberation Army or BLA is a Baloch ethnonationalist militant group operating from the southern regions of Pakistan, perpetrating its attack in neighbouring Pakistan's Balochistan province.