Pakistan’s military accuses neighboring India of sponsoring militants in the restive southwestern Balochistan province, which saw an unprecedented attack this week by armed separatists.

Pakistan freed 190 hijacked train passengers held hostage Wednesday as the battle to free remaining hostages held by the militant group Baloch Liberation Army continued.

Pakistani officials say insurgents who attacked a passenger train carrying 440 people in the southwest killed 21 hostages but security forces rescued the others.

Baloch separatist militants blew up a railway track and launched rockets at the Jaffar Express, which was carrying over 400 passengers.

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s neglected southwestern province of Balochistan has been the scene of a yearslong insurgency, with a dramatic uptick in attacks in recent years underscoring the struggles the government in Islamabad faces in dealing with myriad security threats.

Pakistan's army says it has freed more than 300 hostages from a passenger train seized by militants in Balochistan province on Tuesday. The military spokesperson said 33 militants were killed during the operation.

India on Friday trashed Pakistan’s allegations of backing terrorism against that country following the Balochistan train attack and said Islamabad should look inwards before shifting the blame on others for its “failures”.

India has rebuffed Pakistan's claims of supporting terrorism, urging them to introspect. Pakistan accused India post a Balochistan train attack, but Afghanistan also rejected blame.

Pakistan accused India of sponsoring terrorism without implicating it directly in the recent Balochistan train attack. Communication during the attack was traced to Afghanistan, and Pakistan urged Afghanistan to act against the perpetrators.