Pakistan’s military accused neighbouring India on Friday of sponsoring insurgents in a restive southwestern province, where an unprecedented attack by armed separatists this week killed 26 passengers aboard a hijacked train.

India has strongly denied suggestions made by the Pakistan foreign office that India had a hand in the Jaffar Express attack. MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan.

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.