Gunmen kill 22 in Balochistan in targeted highway attack
by Bhagyashree BarmanIn a brutal attack in south-west Pakistan, gunmen killed at least 22 people after forcing them from their vehicles on a highway in Balochistan province.
The incident took place in Balochistan on August 26.
Visuals showed how badly the vehicles were damaged in the attack and the amount of damage done to the humans cannot be even fathomed.
The attackers, believed to be militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), checked identity documents and reportedly singled out those from Punjab before shooting them and setting the vehicles on fire.
The BLA, a separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack in Musa Khel district, stating they were targeting military personnel traveling in civilian clothes. This incident is part of a broader wave of violence in Balochistan, where security forces are battling ongoing sectarian, ethnic, and separatist conflicts.
In response, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that security forces had killed 12 militants in operations following the attack. The BLA has also launched attacks on government installations, including police stations and security camps across the province, resulting in further casualties.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and resource-rich province, has long been a hotspot for separatist violence. The BLA and other Baloch separatist groups have increased their attacks on non-Baloch workers and foreign companies, accusing them of exploiting the region’s resources without benefiting the local population.