A group of armed men shot 14 persons dead in Balochistan province of Pakistan on Thursday morning after forcing them to get off a bus they were travelling in, Dawn reported. Two passengers managed to escape with injuries.
Provincial Home Secretary Haider Ali told AFP that the attackers were dressed in uniforms worn by Frontier Corps uniforms.
The incident took place on the Makran Coastal Highway in Ormara area shortly after midnight local time. Around 15 to 20 unidentified gunmen in camouflage uniform stopped the bus, checked the ID cards of passengers, and offloaded about 16 of them, Inspector General of Police Mohsin Hassan Butt said.
Butt called it a “targeted killing”. The two people who escaped reached the nearest Levies checkpost and were taken to hospital. The Levies are a paramilitary force that assist police in law enforcement in parts of Pakistan.
Levies and other law enforcement personnel are investigating the incident. The motive and the identity of the victims are not known yet.
Home Minister Zia Langove told the news agency that an investigation has been initiated into the attack. “Such incidents are intolerable and we will not spare the terrorists who carried out this dastardly attack,” Langove said.
Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack. “The prime minister has sought a report into the incident,” Khan’s office said. “He [Khan] directed the authorities concerned to make every possible effort to identify and bring the perpetrators of the barbaric act to justice. The prime minister also expressed his sympathies with the bereaved families of the victims.”
On April 12, a blast in Quetta city of Pakistan killed at least 20 people. Officials said the attack had targeted the Hazara community.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!