Armed Group Shoots Bus Passengers In Pakistan, 7 People Killed

UNSPLASH/Kasif Afridi ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Unknown gunmen killed seven bus passengers bound for Lahore in the province of Blochistan, Pakistan.

The attack took place in Barkhan, a district in the southwest of Blochistan. The province bordering Afghanistan and Iran is the main battleground in Pakistan's decades-long struggle against separatist rebels, who want greater autonomy and the division of natural resources in the region.

A gang of about 40 gunmen stopped several buses and vehicles, checking national identity cards before forcing seven passengers off the bus and shooting them, deputy commissioner Waqar Khurshid Alam, a senior administration official, told Reuters on Wednesday, February 19.

The seven victims came from the province of Central Timor.

Khadim Hussain, assistant commissioner of the area, said the killing took place on the highway linking Barkhan to the southern city of Dera Ghaza Khan in Tehran.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. While the motive behind the murder is still unclear.

Officials told Reuters the area had been closed but the attackers managed to escape.

Earlier on Friday last week, a bomb targeting vehicles carrying coal miners killed 11 people and injured six others.

Meanwhile, in August, separatist militants launched a wave of attacks in Pakistan, killing dozens of people. The attack targeted police stations, infrastructure, and civilians, including roadside attacks that killed 23 people after militants checked identities and opened fire.

The Bloch Liberation Army (BLA) is responsible for the operation, called "Haruf" or "dark windy storm".

BLA is the largest ethnic armed group to fight the central government.

The rebel group is also targeting Chinese citizens and interests in Blochistan.

China is developing a deep sea port of Gwadar, which is also in the province.

Beijing has invested heavily in regional development projects as part of its $65 billion commitment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.