At least 20 miners were killed and seven injured in an attack by armed men on a small private coal mine in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan on Friday, police said.
“A group of armed men attacked the Junaid Coal company mines in the Duki area in the wee hours using heavy weapons,” said Humayun Khan, the police station house officer for the town, located east of the city of Quetta. They fired rockets and grenades at the mines as well, he added.
“We have received 20 bodies and six injured so far at the district hospital,” said Johar Khan Shadizai, a doctor in Duki.
Seven other miners have also been wounded in the attack. This attack has drawn condemnation from authorities who have ordered police to trace and arrest those who are behind the killings.
Latest Attack
The latest attack in restive Balochistan province occurred just days before a major security summit in the capital. Police official Hamayun Khan Nasir reported that gunmen stormed the accommodations at a coal mine in Duki district late Thursday night, rounding up the workers and opening fire.
Most victims were from Pashtun-speaking areas of Balochistan, with three of the dead and four of the wounded being Afghan nationals.
BLA Involved?
While no group has claimed responsibility, suspicion likely falls on the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The BLA is known for targeting civilians and security forces.
In August, the BLA carried out several attacks that killed over 50 people, prompting authorities to kill 21 insurgents in response. Among those killed were 23 passengers, mostly from Punjab province, who were taken from buses and vehicles in Musakhail district and shot.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, calling the perpetrators cruel with an agenda to destabilise Pakistan. He vowed that the killing of the innocent labourers would be avenged.
BLA Attacks Recently
Balochistan is home to several separatist groups seeking independence, accusing Islamabad of exploiting the region’s oil and mineral resources at the expense of local residents.
Earlier this week, the BLA claimed responsibility for an attack on Chinese nationals near Pakistan’s largest airport. Thousands of Chinese workers are in the country, mostly involved in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. The suicide bombing raised concerns about the ability of Pakistani forces to protect foreigners and high-profile events.
Next week, Islamabad is hosting a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group founded by China and Russia to counter Western alliances.
In response to the threat of attacks, authorities have increased security in the capital by deploying troops to prevent terrorism. The Ministry of Interior has also alerted the country’s four provinces to bolster security as separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban may target public places and government installations.
(with inputs from Reuters)
