Gunmen Kill 11 in Balochistan: Attack Targets Migrant Workers from Punjab

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Gunmen Kill 11 in Balochistan: Attack Targets Migrant Workers from Punjab

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Pakistan 

Gunmen carried out a brutal attack in southwest Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals, according to officials. The incident occurred near Naushki city in Balochistan province, where suspected separatist militants targeted migrant laborers from Punjab, executing nine of them after checking their identification.


Reports indicate that the assailants intercepted a bus on Friday evening, forcibly taking the workers from Punjab while sparing those accompanied by their families. The victims' bodies were later discovered about 2 kilometers away from the highway, having been subjected to point-blank gunfire.


Following this, the same attackers targeted a vehicle belonging to a provincial parliamentarian, resulting in the deaths of two individuals when the car veered off the road.


Law enforcement authorities have initiated a manhunt for the perpetrators, with indications pointing towards the involvement of Baloch separatists. Witnesses have recounted how the gunmen singled out Punjabi individuals, citing grievances against perceived injustices committed by Punjabis.


Balochistan, despite its natural resource wealth, remains Pakistan's most impoverished province. The region has been plagued by a longstanding insurgency, with militants targeting not only security forces but also individuals from other ethnic backgrounds and foreign corporations operating in the area.


Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the attack, labeling it as an act of terrorism and vowing to hold the facilitators accountable. This incident adds to a series of violent episodes in the region, including previous attacks on laborers and security forces.


Baloch civil leaders have raised concerns about alleged state-sanctioned human rights abuses in the province, accusing authorities of perpetrating extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances against dissenting voices.


As authorities intensify efforts to apprehend the culprits behind this latest atrocity, the incident underscores the ongoing challenges posed by militancy and ethnic tensions in Balochistan, highlighting the need for a concerted approach to address the root causes of violence in the region.

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