Terrorists Kill 23 in Balochistan: Highway Blocked, Vehicles Stopped, IDs Checked, Victims Shot; Cars Set on Fire Before Fleeing

In a horrific incident in Balochistan, Pakistan, gunmen opened fire and killed 23 people after forcefully checking their identification cards. The victims were pulled out of a bus, and after verifying their IDs, they were shot dead. According to Pakistani newspaper reports, 20 of the deceased were from Punjab, while 3 were from Balochistan.

Musa Khel Police Officer Nazeeb Kakar reported that the gunmen had blocked the highway in the Rarasham area. They then started stopping vehicles coming from Punjab, interrogating passengers, and checking their ID cards before opening fire. After the attack, the assailants set 12 vehicles on fire and fled to the mountains.

No Group Claims Responsibility for Balochistan Attack Yet

So far, no organization has claimed responsibility for the brutal attack in Balochistan. Musa Khel’s Senior SP, Ayub Khoso, mentioned that a banned militant group is suspected to be behind this incident, although he did not reveal the group’s identity. He added that it appears the victims were targeted based on their ethnic identity.

Pakistan PM Sharif Condemns Balochistan Attack

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has strongly condemned the attack in Balochistan. He vowed that the terrorists responsible for this atrocity will face severe punishment and emphasized that the country will not tolerate any form of terrorism.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also condemned the attack. Bugti stated that the Balochistan government will relentlessly pursue the terrorists involved in this heinous act.

Similar Attacks in Punjab and Balochistan in Recent Years

In April, nine people from Punjab were killed in a similar attack after being identified by their ID cards near Nushki, Balochistan. The victims were shot dead after their identities were confirmed, and all were from Punjab.

In another incident in October 2023, unknown attackers killed six laborers from Punjab in the Turbat area of Kech district. This tragic event mirrored a 2015 attack, where gunmen targeted a labor camp near Turbat, resulting in the deaths of 20 workers.