ISLAMABAD, Apr 14 (NNN-APP) – Eleven people were killed and four others injured, as militants killed passengers of several vehicles in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province, officials said, yesterday.
The incident happened at around 7:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Friday, when the militants hoisting flags of the banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on their motorbikes, blocked a highway in Nushki district of the province, official sources from the district said.
“During the snap checking of each passing-by vehicle, the BLA militants offloaded nine passengers from a bus bound to Iran’s Taftan from Balochistan’s provincial capital of Quetta and shot them dead in nearby hills,” the sources added.
The deceased were identified as residents from different cities in the eastern Punjab province. They were believed to be singled out by the militants, who scrutinised their passports before targeting them.
Two more people were killed with four others injured when the militants fired upon another vehicle and a motorbike, after they refused to stop for snap-checking.
The militants maintained the road blockade till around 8:30 p.m. local time, when they were dispersed after an exchange of fire with the security forces, the sources added.
Following the militants’ attack, the security forces kicked off a search operation in the area.
The sources added that, snap-checking has been observed multiple times, usually after important festivals, including the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr, when labourers travel to Balochistan, after spending their holidays.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the attack and conveyed condolences to the families of the victims.
He vowed to ensure that the perpetrators of the attack and their facilitators will face real punishment.– NNN-APP
