Pakistan sees major bloodletting again as 23 fall to suspected terrorists’ bullets in restive southwest

In one of the deadliest bouts of violence in recent times in restive southwestern Pakistan, gunmen in Baluchistan province killed 23 passengers after singling them out and taking them from buses, vehicles and trucks, news agencies reported on August 26 citing police statements.

Armed men blocked an inter-provincial highway in the Rarasham district of Musakhel, Balochistan, and offloaded passengers from vehicles, the Dawn newspaper reported quoting Assistant Commissioner Musakhail Najeeb Kakar.

The dead were identified as belonging to Punjab province. The assailants also set fire to at least 10 vehicles before fleeing.

The killings underlined the ongoing security challenges in Baluchistan, where separatist and militant activities have perpetuated a climate of violence and instability.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric” and promising that the perpetrators will face justice.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility. Separatist groups in Baluchistan have a history of targeting workers from eastern Punjab, aiming to drive them out of the province. The region has been dealing with a long-running insurgency.Past incidents have often been attributed to the outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army and other groups that seek independence from the central government in Islamabad. Islamic militants also have a presence in the province.The latest bout of violence comes nearly four months after a similar attack targeting people from Punjab. In April, gunmen offloaded nine people from a bus near Noshki and shot them dead after checking their ID cards.

In October 2023, unidentified gunmen killed six labourers hailing from Punjab in Turbat in Balochistan’s Kech district.

In 2015, 20 construction workers were killed and three injured in an attack on a labourers’ camp near Turbat.