Advertisement
Pakistan: On Saturday, authorities said that at least 11 people, including nine bus passengers, were killed by unknown militants in restive Balochistan province of Pakistan in two separate incidents.
Police said that in the first incident, armed men stopped a bus on the highway in Noshki district on Friday and abducted nine people at gunpoint. An official said, “The bodies of the nine people were later found with bullet marks in the hilly areas near a bridge.”
He said,”The bus was on its way from Quetta to Taftan when armed men stopped it and after identifying the passengers took nine people to the hilly areas.” In a separate incident, a car was fired upon on the same highway in which two passengers were killed and two others injured.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that the terrorists involved in the killing of 11 people on the Noshki highway would not be spared and would be nabbed soon. He said the terrorists involved in the attacks would be pursued. He added that their aim was to harm the peace of Balochistan. Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the incident, saying the government stands with the families of the deceased at this time.
He said,”There is no place for such a tragic incident….” No banned organisation has claimed responsibility for the killings but there has been a rise in terror attacks by banned outfits and militants in the province in recent weeks this year, with security forces and installations also being brazenly targeted.
In recent weeks, The banned Balochistan Liberation Army has claimed three major terror attacks in the province on Mach town, Gwadar port and a naval base in Turbat, in which security forces killed around 17 militants.
