QUETTA, Pakistan — In a tragic incident, armed attackers claimed the lives of 21 miners and left six others injured in the southwestern region of Pakistan. This violent occurrence has led to widespread condemnation from local authorities, prompting a search for the perpetrators.
The assault in the volatile Balochistan province unfolded just days before a significant security conference scheduled to take place in the capital. Gunmen invaded the miners’ housing at a coal site in the Duki district late on Thursday, where they corralled the workers and opened fire at them, as reported by police official Hamayun Khan Nasir. The attackers, armed with rockets and grenades, also inflicted damage on the mining equipment before making their escape.
Most of the victims hailed from Pashto-speaking regions, with three deceased and four among the injured being Afghan nationals. In response to the heartbreaking violence, local shopkeepers shuttered their businesses and observed a strike to protest the killings. Following the incident, one miner who was severely wounded succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, which raised the death toll to 21. Families of the deceased miners refused to bury their loved ones for hours, staging a sit-in at the attack site, demanding justice before proceeding with the funerals.
Traditionally, Islamic practices dictate that burials occur swiftly after death; nevertheless, demonstrators insisted that they would not conduct any funerals until those responsible for the attack were apprehended, as stated by Nasir.
While no group has taken immediate responsibility for the attack, the suspicion is likely to fall on the banned Baloch Liberation Army. This group has a history of targeting both civilians and military personnel. Balochistan is home to several separatist factions that desire independence, claiming that the federal government in Islamabad has been exploiting the province’s rich oil and mineral resources to the detriment of local communities.
Foreign investments, particularly from China, have funneled billions into Balochistan; however, separatists argue that the resulting profits rarely benefit the local populace. In August, the BLA was responsible for multiple attacks that led to over 50 deaths, with a notable incident where 23 individuals, primarily from Punjab province, were killed after being taken from various vehicles in Musakhail district. Authorities retaliated by eliminating 21 insurgents in the province following these attacks.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended his condolences for the miners’ killings, pledging to eradicate terrorism in the region. Sarfraz Bugti, the Balochistan chief minister, denounced the attacks on vulnerable laborers, reaffirming that those responsible for such brutality have a dangerous agenda to destabilize the nation. He declared that the crimes against innocent workers would not go unpunished.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi emphasized that the murderers of the laborers would eventually face justice. The BLA recently claimed responsibility for an attack targeting Chinese nationals outside Pakistan’s largest airport, with two slain Chinese engineers’ bodies transported back to Beijing. Thousands of Chinese nationals are engaged in projects across the country, including efforts related to the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative.
In another development, two suspects linked to a 2021 bombing that resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals and four Pakistanis were killed during a police operation in eastern Pakistan. Authorities confirmed that the suspects died during an armed attack on a vehicle carrying them to prison, with no law enforcement personnel injured in the incident.
The recent airport bombing, which the BLA attributed to a suicide bomber, has raised concerns regarding the capability of Pakistani forces to safeguard public events and foreigners in the nation. With Islamabad set to host a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, security measures in the capital have been heightened, including troop deployments and rally bans.
However, the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, led by the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, declared plans to hold a peaceful protest in Islamabad coinciding with the SCO summit on October 15. Khan’s party demands his release and contends that he has been unfairly denied access to his legal counsel.
The Interior Ministry has warned provincial authorities to enhance security in response to potential threats from separatists and the Pakistani Taliban, who may target public spaces and government facilities.
The attack on the miners occurred just hours after the signing of 27 investment agreements valued at $2 billion between Saudi and Pakistani businessmen in various sectors, including Balochistan’s mining industry. Saudi Arabia is also interested in investing in Reko Diq, a region known for its rich mineral resources, including gold and copper. Furthermore, Balochistan’s Gwadar Port is a critical component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of China’s broader Belt and Road Initiative. The BLA has previously urged Chinese workers to evacuate the province to avert attacks.
