MUSAKHEL: At least 23 passengers from Punjab were killed by unidentified armed men after offloading them from vehicles in Balochistan’s Musakhel district last night, police officials said.
According to the details, terrorists offloaded passengers from trucks and buses traveling to and from Punjab on an inter-provincial highway in the Rarasham area of Musakhel, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot.
According to Musakhail Assistant Commissioner Najeeb Kakar, the dead are reportedly from Punjab, and the armed men also torched 10 vehicles.
Following the incident, Law Enforcement Agencies including Police and Levies cordoned off the area and began shifting the bodies to the nearby hospital.
“Three of the victims were from Balochistan and the rest from Punjab,” Assistant Commissioner told AFP.
Speaking to a private TV channel, the Balochistan government’s spokesperson Shahid Rind said that the militants had launched attacks at several places in the province where they faced retaliation and resistance from the security forces.
According to the ISRP, terrorists launched cowardly attacks at several places in Balochistan on the night of August 25 and 26. “So far, 12 terrorists have been killed and the security operation will continue until the end of the menace of terrorism,” the statement read.
The Musakhel attack comes nearly four months after a similar attack in Noshki where nine passengers were offloaded from a bus and shot dead after gunmen checked their ID cards.
Condemnations pour in
Strongly condemning the incident, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti sought a report from law enforcement agencies, adding that the Balochistan government will pursue the terrorists.
He expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of those who died in the cowardly act of terrorists. The terrorists and their facilitators will not be able to escape an exemplary end, the CM Office said in a statement.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a passenger bus in the Musakhel area of Balochistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari said the brutal killing of innocent people is the killing of the entire humanity. He said the terrorists are the enemies of Pakistan and humanity. ” Those involved in the killing of innocent people must be brought to justice,” he added.
The Prime Minister directed the local administration to provide full cooperation to the bereaved families and provide immediate medical aid to the injured, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی بلوچستان کے علاقے موسیٰ خیل میں مسافر بس پر دہشتگرد حملے کی شدید مذمت@CMShehbaz pic.twitter.com/xIwoorrmhB
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) August 26, 2024
The Prime Minister directed the law enforcement agencies to immediately investigate the incident. The terrorists responsible for this incident will be severely punished.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the worst incident of terrorism near MusaKhel, PTV News reported.
The Interior Minister expressed deep sorrow and regret for the loss of human lives. “Terrorists and facilitators will not be able to escape from the terrible end. In the war against terrorism, the security forces and every section of life have made eternal sacrifices,” he said.
