QUETTA:

In an incident of unprecedented brutality on Tuesday, five laborers were killed and two others injured in an attack by unidentified assailants at the Paroum dam project site in Panjgur district. The gunmen opened fire on the workers, killing them immediately, according to Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government.

The injured and the deceased were rushed to a nearby hospital while police cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti strongly condemned the attack, ordering law enforcement to bring the culprits to justice. “The terrorists behind this attack will not be spared,” Bugti said in his remarks, stressing a swift response.

Balochistan Minister Mir Sadiq Umrani also condemned the attack, calling for increased security in vulnerable development areas. Security has since been tightened as authorities continue efforts to identify the attackers, who allegedly fled the scene immediately after the attack.

This incident underscores the persistent security challenges in Balochistan, raising significant concerns about the protection of workers working on development projects in the province. Panjgur is considered to be one of the most sensitive districts in Balochistan.

In the past, militants have also targeted laborers working on development projects in the area. This

The incident came more than two weeks after 20 laborers were killed in Balochistan’s Duki district. The workers were coal miners who worked in the coal mines in the area.

On that occasion, unidentified gunmen targeted the coal mines of a local coal company. According to district authorities, the attackers used heavy weapons, including hand grenades and rocket launchers, during the attack on the mines.

Duki District Chairman Haji Khairullah Nasir said the attackers targeted the coal mines, shooting workers and setting mining equipment on fire.

He stated that the police and the Border Guard were informed about the attack, but none of the security forces personnel arrived at the scene.

Police reported that armed individuals gathered the workers into groups and opened fire on them. Duki SHO Humayun Khan Nasir confirmed that 17 bodies have been taken to the civil hospital and others are being transferred.

Of the deceased, two were from Afghanistan, three from Pishin, one from Kuchlak, four from Killa Saifullah, three from Zhob and one from Loralai. All the dead and injured workers were Pashtun.