5 Workers Killed, 2 Injured in Suspected Separatist Attack in Pakistan's Restive Balochistan

Karachi, Oct 29 (PTI) At least five workers were killed and two ors injured on Tuesday after unidentified gunmen opened fire at a dam construction site in Panjgur district of Pakistan 's restive Balochistan province, officials said.

militants attacked security officials and workers who were busy in maintenance work on dam site in Paroom area of Panjgur district, spokesperson for Balochistan government Shahid Rind said.

"Five people were killed and two ors injured,” Rind said but didn’t confirm if any security officials h been killed in attack.

Officials said that victims were local people.

"A search has been launched to arrest attackers,” a police official said.

No group claimed responsibility for attack but rebels linked with various Baloch nationalist groups often attacked security forces and government installations.

Levies police and district officials reached site of attack and shifted injured to a nearby hospital where y were said to be in stable condition.

Balochistan’s Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly denounced attack, calling it “an unforgivable act” and pledged that perpetrators would face justice.

He emphasised that se “terrorist acts,” intended to halt Balochistan’s progress, would not succeed.

“Those responsible will be held accountable for ir actions,” Bugti said, noting that terrorists would “never achieve ir goals.” Some television channels reported that five Levies were killed in attack.

Earlier this month, 20 workers were killed in a rocket attack on coal mines in Duki district of Balochistan, prompting more than 40,000 colliers to stop ir work and return to ir native areas.

On September 28, armed men killed seven workers in area of Khuda Aban in Panjgur district as y were sleeping in ir quarters. seven were labourers from or provinces working in Panjgur.

Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

Baloch Liberation Army accuses China and Islamab of exploitation of resource-rich province, a charge rejected by authorities. 

(Except for heline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)