Gunmen abduct and kill nine bus passengers in Pakistan’s Balochistan
Assailants take away victims after determining they are from Punjab province
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Gunmen killed nine passengers after abducting them from a bus in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, senior police officials confirmed on Saturday.
The incident took place in the mountainous Nushki district on Friday night when the bus was travelling from the provincial capital of Quetta to Taftan, a town bordering Iran.
The unidentified gunmen, 10-12 in number, intercepted the bus and took away the nine men after checking their identity cards and determining they were from the eastern province of Punjab, police officer Abdullah Mengal said. "All of them were travelling to Taftan.”
The corpses of the victims, shot at close range, were found under a bridge nearby an hour and half after the abduction, Mr Musakhel said.
No organisation has taken responsibility for the attack so far.
In a separate attack on the same highway, unidentified gunmen fired on a car that tried to force its way through a blockade, killing one passenger and wounding at least four. Dawn reported that both the attacks took place at the same blockade.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the killings and vowed to punish the perpetrators.
“We stand with the bereaved families in this hour of grief,” he said, according to Radio Pakistan.
Balochistan has long been a hotbed of ethnic insurgent groups that accuse the Pakistani state, dominated by Punjabis, of denying them their fair share of the region’s rich natural resources.
Baloch insurgents have previously claimed responsibility for similar killings in the region, which is home to the strategic Gwadar sea port being developed by neighbouring China. The insurgents have also targeted Chinese nationals and their interests.
Beijing has invested heavily in regional development projects in Balochistan as part of its $65bn pledge to build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Additional reporting by agencies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments