A-Shabab militants stormed the Qahira Hotel in Beledweyne, located about 335km/ miles 209 miles north of Mogadishu, triggering an ongoing siege. The attack began with a VBIED explosion, followed by gunmen entering the hotel and engaging in fierce clashes with security forces. Police reported at least four fatalities, but eyewitness accounts indicate the death toll has risen to 10. The assault occurred during a meeting of politicians, security officials, and elders discussing an offensive against al-Shabab. Security forces have cornered several attackers inside the hotel. Parts of the hotel have collapsed due to intense fighting. Witnesses described multiple explosions and gunfire as the battle continued. Authorities are organizing medical evacuations to Mogadishu for the wounded.

Security forces stormed the train, ending a day-long standoff with the militants. The military reported that all 33 attackers were killed, along with 21 hostages and four security personnel. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, initially stating they had killed 50 passengers and were holding 214 hostages, mostly security personnel. The group demanded the release of Baloch political prisoners within 48 hours. Rescue efforts were complicated by militants wearing suicide vests among the hostages. The military deployed air and special forces, eliminating the bombers before engaging other insurgents. Survivors reported that militants checked identities, seemingly targeting security personnel. Relatives of passengers questioned the government's preparedness and demanded answers about railway security. The BLA, the largest separatist group in Balochistan, has intensified attacks in recent months, citing grievances over resource distribution and alleged military oppression. In the early morning of March 12, officials confirmed that 190 of the 440 passengers had been rescued and estimated that approximately 150 hostages remained in BLA custody, with an unknown number taken by the militants into the surrounding mountainous terrain. The attack on the Jaffar Express began when militants blew up railway tracks and launched rockets at the nine-car train.

Security forces launched a rescue operation after Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants attacked a Peshawar-bound passenger train from Quetta near Balochistan’s Bolan district. Reports indicate that the militants, allegedly in contact with foreign facilitators, took passengers hostage, including women and children. The Jaffar Express was targeted in the Dhadar area, prompting an immediate response from security personnel. State media later reported that 80 hostages—43 men, 26 women, and 11 children—were successfully rescued. As the operation continued, security forces killed 13 militants and injured others. The attackers reportedly split into small groups, and injured passengers were transported to nearby hospitals. Additional security personnel were deployed to secure the area. The incident began around noon in a remote area. Security forces managed to free some passengers early on, but others were taken into the mountainous terrain, with militants using women and children as human shields. The operation was conducted cautiously to ensure the safety of those involved. Authorities declared an emergency at Sibi and Civil Hospital Quetta. Officials reported that the train, carrying over 400 passengers, was halted by armed men outside Tunnel No. 8. A blast was also heard near the tunnel, intensifying the confrontation between security forces and militants. Balochistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist attacks, with the region experiencing 171 insurgent incidents in 2024—a 119% increase compared to previous years. A security report highlighted that over 95% of Pakistan’s terrorist activity last year was concentrated in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, signaling an alarming security trend.

At around 12:00 p.m. local time, militants attacked the Jaffar Express, which was carrying over 400 passengers from Quetta, the provincial capital, to the northern city of Peshawar. In a statement, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, stating that its Majid Brigade, Fateh Squad, and Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) carried out the assault, killing six military personnel and taking hundreds of passengers’ hostage while warning against military retaliation. Although the Pakistani military has not yet commented, the provincial spokesperson confirmed that an emergency was declared at a hospital in Sibi, 160 km southeast of Quetta, and reported intense gunfire near Pehro Kunri and Gadalar. This attack, the BLA’s most ambitious to date, occurred just months after train services resumed in October following a previous BLA-claimed attack. Balochistan has long been a battleground between the government and Baloch separatists seeking independence. The region has also witnessed repeated attacks targeting Chinese investments in the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

A suicide bombing during Friday prayers at the Darul Uloom Haqqania religious institution in Akora Khattak, Nowshera, killed at least six people, including Hamid-ul-Haq, a prominent religious-political leader. Over 20 others were injured in the attack, which occurred as worshippers gathered to greet Haq. Authorities suspect he was the intended target. Emergency measures were enacted across Nowshera and Peshawar, and national leaders condemned the attack. The Afghan Taliban also denounced the bombing, blaming the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) for the assault. Haq, who led a faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, had ties to the Afghan Taliban through religious diplomacy. He was the son of Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, known as the "Father of the Taliban," who was assassinated in 2018. The bombing highlights Pakistan’s escalating security crisis, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where militancy has surged. In 2024, Pakistan recorded its deadliest year in a decade, with over 1,600 fatalities linked to terrorist attacks. The attack underscores the country’s ongoing struggle with cross-border militancy, with Islamabad accusing Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers of harboring extremist groups—an allegation they deny.

Shortly before 4 p.m. local time a 37-year-old Algerian national carried out a knife attack in the eastern city of Mulhouse, leaving one person dead and two police officers seriously injured. The assailant, who was on a terrorism watch list and subject to a deportation order, reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" as he stabbed and wounded two police officers—one in the neck and another in the chest—and fatally stabbed a civilian who attempted to intervene. Authorities have launched a terrorist investigation into the attack, which took place during a demonstration in support of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At around 4 p.m. local time, a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker stabbed four people in the main square of the southern city of Villach. A 14-year-old was killed, and five others were injured, two seriously. Initially, police described the incident as a “random attack,” despite some witnesses claiming the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar.” However, a day later, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated that the incident was an Islamist attack, explaining that the suspect had been radicalized online in a short period and had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State. A 42-year-old Syrian food delivery driver witnessed the attack and intervened by driving his car toward the suspect, preventing further casualties. The far-right Freedom Party, which won the 2024 national elections and has been pushing for stricter immigration policies, is likely to use the attack to advance its agenda.