Nine bus passengers were killed after gunmen kidnapped them in Pakistan‘s restive southwestern Balochistan province, officials confirmed. The incident occurred on Thursday evening when the passengers were taken from several buses traveling from Balochistan to the central region of Punjab. According to officials, the travelers were likely targeted due to their Punjabi ethnicity.
The bodies of the victims, riddled with bullet wounds, were found in the mountains overnight. Provincial government spokesman Shahid Rind said, “The passengers were taken from several buses on Thursday evening.” Another government official, Naveed Alam, confirmed the discovery of the bodies.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the killings. Sharif stated, “The blood of innocent people will be avenged. The killing of innocent citizens is an open act of terrorism by India-sponsored terrorists.” However, there was no immediate reaction from India to his statement. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, has been involved in similar incidents in the past, targeting passengers from the eastern Punjab province. The BLA is one of several groups involved in a long-standing rebellion in the mineral-rich region bordering Afghanistan and Iran. These groups blame the Pakistani authorities for exploiting their regional resources to fund spending in Punjab province.
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