In a horrific incident that unfolded in the troubled southwestern region of
Pakistan
on Monday,
armed assailants
targeted and killed 23 passengers after forcibly removing them from buses, vehicles, and trucks, according to police and news agency AP quoted official sources as saying. Gunmen shot at passengers after checking their identities.
The attack, which ranks among the most lethal in the area, took place during the night in the
Kusakhail district
of Balochistan province.
The perpetrators set fire to at least 10 vehicles before making their escape from the crime scene.
Mohsin Naqvi, the interior minister of Pakistan, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as "barbaric" and assured that those responsible would face the full force of the law and not evade justice.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, separatist elements in
Baluchistan
have a history of targeting workers and individuals from the eastern Punjab province, as part of their efforts to pressure them into leaving the region. Baluchistan has been grappling with a low-intensity
insurgency
for many years.
The majority of such previous killings have been attributed to the banned
Baluchistan Liberation Army
and other organizations seeking independence from the central government in Islamabad. Additionally, Islamic militant groups also maintain a presence in the province.
In a similar attack in April, 11 labourers were killed when they were abducted from a bus in Naushki city of Balochistan.
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