Gunmen in southwest Pakistan have tragically killed at least 22 individuals after stopping vehicles to check their identities, according to local officials. The attack took place overnight on a highway in Balochistan province, which has been a hotspot for sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence.
Reports indicate that the assailants, numbering between 30 and 40, specifically targeted individuals from Punjab. They allegedly conducted identity checks before executing those they identified as Punjabis and subsequently setting the vehicles ablaze. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a known militant group, has claimed responsibility for this heinous act in the Musa Khel district.
Senior local official Najibullah Kakar confirmed that 22 vehicles were stopped during the incident. The BLA claims their intention was to target military personnel disguised in civilian clothing.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed profound grief and condemned the terrorist attack, emphasizing the tragedy of such violence. Balochistan, while being Pakistan’s largest province with abundant resources, remains the least developed, a stark contradiction that fuels unrest in the region.
The BLA and other Baloch separatist factions have escalated their attacks against Punjabis and Sindhis residing in the area, as well as targeting foreign energy companies, which they accuse of exploiting local resources without offering fair compensation to the residents.
In a similar incident earlier this year, nine passengers were forcibly removed from a bus in Balochistan and shot after their identities were verified. Over the past 24 hours, the BLA has launched multiple assaults on government installations, including police stations and security camps across the province.
Significantly, several Western nations have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organization, underscoring the international concern regarding the rising violence in the region.
