Unknown armed men killed seven passengers on a bus bound for Lahore in southwestern Pakistan’s Balochistan province late on Tuesday, officials reported.
The incident occurred in Barkhan, a district in southwestern Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. This region is a key focus of Pakistan’s long-standing battle against separatist insurgents seeking greater autonomy and a share of the area’s natural resources.
A group of about 40 armed men stopped several buses and vehicles, checking national identity cards before forcing seven passengers off the bus and shooting them, according to Waqar Khurshid Alam, deputy commissioner and senior administrative official.
The victims were all from central Punjab province, Alam added.
Khadim Hussain, assistant commissioner for the area, stated that the killings took place on a highway connecting Barkhan to Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the motive remains unclear. Officials informed Reuters that the area was sealed off, but the attackers managed to escape.
Earlier in the week, a bomb targeted a vehicle carrying coal miners, killing at least 11 people and injuring six others.
Last August, separatist militants launched a series of attacks across Pakistan, killing dozens. These included an attack on a roadside that left 23 people dead after militants checked IDs and opened fire. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for that attack, calling it “Haruf” or “dark windy storm.”
The BLA is the largest of several ethnic armed groups fighting against the central government.
Insurgent groups have also targeted Chinese nationals and interests in Balochistan, where China is developing the Gwadar deep-water port. As part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing has committed $65 billion to regional development projects.
