Pakistan army revealed that 18 out of 26 hostages killed in a Balochistan train ambush were army personnel. The Balochistan Liberation Army staged a dramatic siege, prompting a military intervention that rescued over 300 passengers and eliminated 33 terrorists.

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.

Pakistan's military spokesman said on Friday the death toll in a train hijacking in the country's southwestern mountains had risen to 31 and he repeated accusations that neighbouring India and Afghanistan backed the militants who carried it out.

Insurgents who attacked a passenger train carrying 440 passengers in restive southwestern Pakistan killed 21 hostages before

Hostages freed after a day-long ordeal following a BLA militant attack on a Pakistan train recalled crouching on the floor for hours before their release.

The separatist Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for attacking the train carrying 440 passengers in a tunnel in a remote part of Balochistan. Spokesman Jeeyand Baloch had said the group was ready to free passengers if authorities agree to release jailed militants.

Pak foreign office had claimed that BLA rebels involved in attack on Jaffar Express were in contact with ring leaders in Afghanistan.