At least 31 people were killed in two separate attacks by gunmen in Pakistan’s dangerous Balochistan province. The current rise in violence has generated severe worries about the region’s stability, with attacks targeting people, law enforcement, and infrastructure, highlighting the area’s increasing strife.
In one of the incidents, 23 people were brutally murdered when gunmen stopped multiple buses on an interprovincial route in Musakhel’s Rarasham area. The assailants allegedly dragged passengers off the busses and shot them after verifying their identity. According to Assistant Commissioner Musakhail Najeeb Kakar, the attackers focused on vehicles going between Punjab and Balochistan. He went on: “Vehicles traveling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot.” Three of the casualties were from Balochistan, and the others were from Punjab province. Additionally, Deputy Commissioner Hameed Zahir said that at least ten trucks were set on fire, killing their drivers. Police eventually arrived to transfer the bodies to a nearby hospital.
In another violent incident in the Qalat district, nine people, including four police officers and five bystanders, were killed in a separate gun attack. The region also saw further violence, with insurgents targeting a railway track in Bolan, attacking a police station in Mastung, and burning vehicles in Gwadar. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in these additional incidents.
The militant Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attacks. In a statement to journalists, the BLA warned of additional such attacks, including a threat to a key paramilitary base. According to Reuters, the BLA said that its militants particularly targeted military soldiers camouflaged in civilian attire, who were then shot upon identification. Despite these assertions, Pakistani officials have yet to corroborate the BLA’s involvement. Pakistan’s Interior Minister has denied the BLA’s allegations, claiming that the victims were innocent civilians.
The BLA had previously warned the public to avoid highways due to potential threats. The attacks have drawn strong condemnation from both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Prime Minister Sharif emphasized that “any kind of terrorism is not acceptable in the country,” according to Radio Pakistan. President Zardari condemned the brutal killings as an attack on all of humanity, branding the terrorists as enemies of both Pakistan and humanity. In response to the attacks, the Prime Minister has directed local authorities to provide full support to the victims’ families and ensure immediate medical assistance to the injured.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti also condemned the terrorist attacks, expressing deep sympathy and condolences to the victims’ families. He vowed that the terrorists and their supporters would face severe consequences, assuring that the Balochistan government would actively pursue those responsible for these heinous acts.
These recent incidents are part of a troubling pattern of violence in Balochistan. The Musakhel attack follows a similar event in April, where nine passengers were forcibly removed from a bus near Noshki and shot dead after their identification was checked. Additionally, in October 2023, six laborers from Punjab were killed in Turbat’s Kech district, specifically targeted due to their ethnic background. In 2015, a pre-dawn attack on a laborers’ camp near Turbat resulted in 20 construction workers being killed and three injured.
The ongoing violence in Balochistan reflects the deep-seated ethnic and political tensions in the region, highlighting the urgent need for effective measures to ensure the safety and security of its residents.
