Nine passengers were abducted and executed by gunmen in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan on Thursday night after armed men intercepted two buses in the Loralai district, according to local officials. The victims, laborers from the eastern Punjab province, were separated based on their identities, taken into the mountains, and shot dead. Their bodies, bearing gunshot wounds, were recovered overnight, officials confirmed Friday.
No group has claimed responsibility, but suspicion has fallen on Baloch separatist factions that have carried out similar killings in the past. Ethnic insurgents in Balochistan have long accused the federal government of plundering regional resources while neglecting local development. The Baloch Liberation Army, one of the most active groups in the region, has previously targeted civilians, security personnel, and Chinese nationals involved in development projects, especially around the strategic Gwadar port.
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Provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the attacks took place after security forces had already foiled three other insurgent plots earlier that day. He also alleged foreign backing for the violence. “India is now doubling down to further its nefarious agenda through its proxies,” Pakistan’s military stated, accusing New Delhi of supporting separatist fighters, a charge India routinely denies.
Following the killings, Pakistani security forces launched a search operation in the area to pursue the attackers and search for any remaining abducted individuals.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the killings, calling the assault a terrorist act. “We will deal with the terrorists with full force, and the blood of innocent people will be avenged,” he said in a statement.
Balochistan, a resource-rich province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, has seen a surge in violence in recent months, with separatist groups targeting both local and foreign interests as Pakistan seeks international investment, particularly from China.