Karachi, Jan 5 (PTI) Families of 11 coal miners from the minority Shia Hazara community, who were massacred by the Islamic State terrorists, on Tuesday refused to bury their bodies until the militants are arrested.

The families continued their sit-in for the third day and blocked a main highway linking Balochistan's capital city Quetta to other parts of the country.

Terrorists on Sunday abducted and shot dead the 11 coal miners after separating them from others, in the latest targeted attack on the minority communities in the country.

The miners were shot dead from a close range shortly after being abducted by the armed terrorists in the province's mountainous Machh area. The Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attack.

The protesting families made it clear to Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed that they would not end their blockade until Prime Minister Imran Khan meets them and the killers are brought to justice.

Hundreds of people are taking part in the protest.

Rahat Begum, who lost her two sons in the massacre, said that Hazara Muslims are being targeted by sectarian and militant outfits for long and the killers are never brought to justice despite promises made by the government.

“This time we want assurance from the Prime Minister that the killers will be caught or we will not move from here,” she said.

Balochistan Home Secretary Hafiz Basid told the media that at least nine of the victims were from Afghanistan, and two bodies have so far been taken there for burial.

The protesters sitting with the bodies said that Hazaras come to work in the coal mines from neighbouring Afghanistan in the winter.

On Monday, Interior Minister Ahmed reached Quetta and requested the protesters to end the sit-in but his appeal was dismissed.

Various Hazara political parties and organisations have held a meeting to discuss the Machh massacre and strategies going forward.

The government of Balochistan ruled out any security lapses, saying the incident was an act of terrorism.

Prime Minister Khan condemned the miners' killing, terming it "yet another cowardly inhumane act of terrorism".

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has sought an inquiry report from the authorities concerned.

According to police, the terrorists entered the two of the rooms the colliers resided in, kidnapped them and tied their hands and feet, and shot them dead near a mountainside.

Terrorist attacks are not uncommon in Balochistan but their frequency had reduced over the past few years.

Hazaras are disproportionately targeted by sectarian violence as they are easily identifiable due to their distinctive physical appearance, according to local media reports.

Balochistan has witnessed violence against Hazaras for more than a decade and half by militants who consider them as heretics.

The Hazaras are part of the Shia community who live in Balochistan and Afghanistan. They have been often targeted by the Sunni militants.

This is not the first time that the Hazaras have been targeted by extremist outfits in Balochistan. In the last few years, hundreds of Hazaras have been killed in either suicide bomb attacks, planted bomb blasts or target killings.

The province has been troubled for some time now with terrorists and militants from sectarian and separatist groups operating in the province and carrying out attacks on security forces, installations, the Shia Hazara community members or even labourers/workers from other provinces.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)