Claim
A viral video on social media allegedly shows hostages taken by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) after the militant group hijacked the *Jaffar Express* in Balochistan on *11 March 2025*.
Verification
1. Origin of the Video
– Reverse image and video searches reveal that the footage was first shared on Facebook and Instagram in December 2024, months before the Jaffar Express attack.
– The posts referenced unrelated incidents in Parachinar (Kurram District) and Lakki Marwat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), involving sectarian violence and TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) militants.
– No credible evidence links the video to the BLA or the *March 2025 train hijacking.
2. BLA’s Jaffar Express Attack (11 March 2025)
– The *BLA hijacked the Peshawar-bound train*, taking hostages and killing security personnel.
– Verified footage from BLA’s media wing (Hakkal) and Pakistan’s military (ISPR) shows a different location and scenario than the viral video.
– The actual attack site was 13 km northwest of Mashkaf Railway Tunnel, not the location depicted in the disputed video.
3. Misinformation Spread
– The viral video gained traction on X (Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube, falsely linking it to the BLA hostage crisis.
– Some posts misrepresented the video as “breaking news” from the Balochistan incident.
Conclusion: False/Misleading
The video *does not* show hostages from the Jaffar Express hijacking. It predates the incident and is linked to unrelated conflicts in Parachinar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Why This Matters
Misinformation about militant attacks can *inflame tensions, mislead the public, and distort the facts* surrounding security crises. Always verify sources before sharing unconfirmed footage.
Rating: False
(The video is unrelated to the BLA train attack and was circulated earlier in a different context.)
