In Balochistan’s Musakhel district, armed men killed at least 23 Punjabi passengers in a targeted attack. The attackers stopped trucks and buses on the Rarasham inter-provincial highway, forced the passengers off, and shot them after confirming their identities, said Assistant Commissioner Musakhail Najeeb Kakar.
The terrorists also set 10 vehicles on fire at the scene. Authorities, including police and Levies, quickly responded and transported the bodies to a nearby hospital.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the attack and expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. He vowed to bring those responsible to justice and assured the provincial government would take decisive action against the perpetrators.
This incident follows a series of similar attacks targeting Punjabis in Balochistan. In April, gunmen killed nine Punjabi passengers in Noshki after checking their ID cards. In October last year, six Punjabi labourers were shot dead in Turbat, and in 2015, 20 construction workers were killed in a pre-dawn attack near Turbat. These incidents highlight a disturbing trend of targeted violence against people from Punjab in Balochistan.
