World News | Seven Passengers Killed in Pakistan's Balochistan
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Unidentified gunmen killed at least seven passengers of a bus on Wednesday after checking their identity cards in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province, officials said.
Islamabad, Feb 19 (PTI) Unidentified gunmen killed at least seven passengers of a bus on Wednesday after checking their identity cards in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province, officials said.
The gunmen targeted the passenger bus in the Barkhan area of the province when it was moving from the provincial capital, Quetta, to Punjab province.
Police said that the assailants stopped the bus on a national highway by setting up a blockade. The attackers boarded the bus, checked the passengers' identity cards, and forcibly took seven individuals to a nearby mountain. Shortly after, gunshots were heard.
Barkhan Deputy Commissioner Waqar Khurshid Alam confirmed the incident and the death toll. “All seven who were travelling in the coach belonged to Punjab, and were on their way to Lahore,” he said.
The bodies have been transported to a nearby hospital in Rakni, according to the Levies force.
Quoting one passenger, Geo News reported that the assailants took his brother away after checking his identity card. The gunmen numbered between 10 and 12, he said, adding that all were armed with Kalashnikovs.
Security forces rushed to the area and launched a manhunt to arrest the killers.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack but ethnic Baloch terrorist groups regularly attack the people from neighbouring Punjab.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the brutal killings and vowed that the culprits would be brought to justice.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in separate messages condemned the terrorist attack.
“The killing of innocent people is a coward and heinous act. The terrorists are the enemies of peace and humanity. They want to mar the peace in Balochistan,” the president said.
Shehbaz said: “The sacrifices of innocent citizens will not go in vain. The government and security forces are actively working to eliminate terrorism from the country completely.”
(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)