Pakistan’s military have been engaged in a deadly standoff for more than 24 hours with armed militants who hijacked a train and took hostages, in a dramatic escalation of an insurgency that has plagued the region for decades.

The Jaffar Express, with roughly 450 people on board, was traveling north from Quetta, Balochistan, to Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, when it came under a bomb and gun attack Tuesday

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani security forces have killed 27 terrorists and rescued 155 passengers during an ongoing operation to rescue hostages following a train attack in the country's southwest Balochistan province, security sources said on Wednesday morning.