Dozens of train passengers taken hostage after Pakistan militant attack
The Jaffar Express had about 400 passengers on board when the attack occurred
Militants in southwest Pakistan have attacked a passenger train and taken 35 people hostage.
The Jaffar Express, which had about 400 passengers, was trapped in a tunnel during the attack on Tuesday and the driver badly wounded, local authorities, police and railway officials said.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group, has claimed responsibility for the attack. It earlier claimed 182 people had been taken hostage before police confirmed the lower number. Nearly 350 passengers are believed to be safe.
Security forces said an explosion had been heard near the tunnel and that they were exchanging fire with the militants in a mountainous area.
The BLA, which seeks independence for Balochistan province bordering both Afghanistan and Iran, said it had killed 20 soldiers and shot down a drone. There was no confirmation of that from Pakistani authorities.
The group said it had taken 182 hostages from the train, including Pakistan army members and other security officials travelling on leave.
"Civilian passengers, particularly women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens, have been released safely and given a secure route," it said in a statement emailed to journalists and posted on Telegram.
"The BLA further warns that if military intervention continues, all hostages will be executed."
The Jaffar Express had been on its way from Balochistan's capital Quetta to the city of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when it was fired on.
Pakistan's interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the attack and said the government would not make any concessions to "beasts who fire on innocent passengers".
The Balochistan government has imposed emergency measures to deal with the situation, spokesperson Shahid Rind said, without giving more details.
The BLA is the biggest of several ethnic groups battling the government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources.
The conflict has seen frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region.