In yet another tragic incident in Balochistan, unidentified militants have ruthlessly gunned down 11 people, including nine laborers hailing from Punjab, in Nushki district.
According to Nushki Deputy Commissioner Habibullah Musakhel, the harrowing episode unfolded on Friday night, when over a dozen militants obstructed the Quetta-Nushki-Taftan N-40 National Highway at Sultan Chadhai, a hilly point situated approximately one kilometer away from Nushki.
The militants, armed and menacing, initiated vehicle inspections after blocking the highway. Upon encountering a vehicle that failed to comply with their demands to halt, they resorted to opening fire. Tragically, the driver of the vehicle happened to be the brother of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Balochistan MPA Ghulam Dastgir Badini.
The gunfire caused a tire to burst, resulting in the vehicle overturning. Consequently, a relative of the MPA lost their life, while four others sustained injuries. Regrettably, one of the injured individuals succumbed to their wounds at a hospital.
Musakhel elucidated that a passing motorcyclist also fell victim to the gunfire and sustained injuries.
An official from the Nushki police reported that the militants intercepted a passenger bus en route from Quetta to Taftan. After scrutinizing the CNICs of the passengers, they abducted nine individuals hailing from Punjab and swiftly fled towards nearby hills. Later, the lifeless bodies of all nine abducted individuals were discovered beneath a bridge, all bearing fatal gunshot wounds.
The deceased individuals hailed from Mandi Bahauddin, Wazirabad, and Gujranwala. Nushki SP Allah Bukhsh disclosed that they were laborers who had boarded the bus in Quetta, bound for Taftan.
Confirming the severity of the tragedy, Nushki Teaching Hospital MS Dr. Zafar Mengal stated that the victims had sustained gunshot wounds across various parts of their bodies.
In a brazen act of aggression, the militants also launched rockets at an ordnance depot of the Nushki Frontier Corps (FC) militia, fortunately causing no casualties or damage.
Law enforcement authorities suspect armed Baloch separatist organizations to be behind the attack. Consequently, they have initiated a comprehensive search operation in collaboration with the FC and other security forces to apprehend the perpetrators.
