At least 23 people were killed on Monday after gunmen forcibly removed passengers from trucks and buses, shooting them after verifying their identities. The armed assailants also set fire to 10 vehicles, according to officials. The tragic event occurred in Balochistan’s Musakhail district, where the attackers blocked a vital inter-provincial highway connecting Punjab and Balochistan provinces.
Musakhail Assistant Commissioner Najeeb Kakar stated, “The dead are reportedly from Punjab,” and confirmed that 10 vehicles were set ablaze. Kakar further explained that 22 people were killed and 5 injured when gunmen stopped multiple buses, trucks, and vans on the highway. The attackers specifically targeted individuals from Punjab, inspecting and shooting them.
Hameed Zehri, another senior district official, corroborated the death toll and suspected that militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) were behind the attack. “It seems that the BLA (Baloch Liberation Army) terrorists are responsible for the incident,” said Zehri.
The assailants not only killed passengers but also targeted truck drivers transporting coal, according to Hameed Zahir, the deputy commissioner of the area. Balochistan, rich in resources, has experienced decades of ethnic insurgency, often targeting workers from Punjab. BLA militants view Punjabis as exploiters of their resources and demand the secession of Balochistan from Pakistan.
The Balochistan Liberation Army issued a statement claiming that its fighters targeted military personnel disguised in civilian clothes, who were shot after being identified. However, Pakistan’s interior ministry asserted that the victims were innocent civilians.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office released a statement condemning the attack, promising that security forces would retaliate and bring those responsible to justice.
