Gunmen kill 11 Shiite coal miners in Pakistan

Protests took place in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province on Sunday after reports that gunmen opened fire on a group of mirity Shiite Hazara coal miners after abducting m, killing 11. Armed men took coal miners to nearby mountains, where y opened fire on m, a Pakistani official said.

Six of miners were reportedly killed on spot and five who were critically wounded died on way to a hospital. "We are protesting, we are helpless, our (Shiite Hazara) community is being killed every day," Ai Askri, President of Tehreek-e-Namaz Fiqa, a Shiite religious group in Pakistan, told Associated Press.

Moazzam Ali Jatoi, an official with Levies Force, which serves as police and paramilitary in area, said attack took place near Mach coal field, about 48 kilometers (30 miles) east of provincial capital Quetta.

group immediately claimed responsibility but banned Sunni extremist organization Lashker-e-Jhangvi has targeted mirity Hazara community in Baluchistan in past.

News of killings spre quickly among Hazara community and members took to streets to protest, blocking highways with burning tyres and tree trunks.  violence was largely condemned across country with Prime Minister Imran Khan saying perpetrators would be taken to task and affected families would be taken care of.

Shiite cleric Nasir Abbas said protests over incident would be organized across country. Political and religious leers from different segments of population also expressed ir grief and sorrow over killings.

Representative Im