Pakistan: Terrorists target highway vehicles, 23 offloaded & shot dead; 9 killed in separate attack
In two separate incidents on Monday, at least 32 people were killed in the troubled southwestern region of Pakistan.
Armed assailants targeted and killed 23 passengers in the Musakhail district of Balochistan province after forcibly removing them from buses, vehicles, and trucks, according to police and news agency AP quoted official sources as saying.Gunmen shot at passengers after checking their identities.
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The attack, which ranks among the most lethal in the area, took place during the night in the Kusakhail district of Balochistan province. The perpetrators set fire to at least 10 vehicles before making their escape from the crime scene.
In another deadly incident, gunmen targeted individuals in the Qalat district, also in Balochistan, resulting in the loss of at least nine lives. Among the victims were four police officers and five civilians who were passing by when the attack occurred.
The southwestern province faced more violence as insurgents carried out a series of attacks across different districts.
In Bolan, a railway track was destroyed by explosives, while in Mastung, a police station came under attack. Gwadar also experienced incidents of vehicle attacks and arson, although no casualties were reported in these specific incidents.
Mohsin Naqvi, the interior minister of Pakistan, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric” and assured that those responsible would face the full force of the law and not evade justice.
The attacks came after separatist group Baluch Liberation Army warned people to stay away from highways, as they launched attacks on security forces in various parts of the province.
Baloch seperatist elements in Baluchistan have a history of targeting workers and individuals from the eastern Punjab province, as part of their efforts to pressure them into leaving the region. Balochistan has been grappling with a low-intensity insurgency for many years.
The majority of such previous killings have been attributed to the banned Baluchistan Liberation Army and other organizations seeking independence from the central government in Islamabad. Additionally, Islamic militant groups also maintain a presence in the province.
In a similar attack in April, 11 labourers were killed when they were abducted from a bus in Naushki city of Balochistan.