At least 22 people were killed by gunmen in south-west Pakistan after being forced out of their vehicles and having their identities checked, officials reported.
The attack occurred overnight on a highway in Balochistan province, a region plagued by sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence.
The armed men reportedly checked the identity documents of the passengers, singling out those from Punjab before shooting them and setting their vehicles on fire.
Officials allege that the Baloch Liberation Army, a militant group, was behind the attack in Musa Khel district.
Najibullah Kakar, a senior local official, confirmed the involvement of around 30 to 40 militants. “They stopped 22 vehicles,” Kakar told AFP news agency. “Vehicles traveling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot.”
The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they were targeting military personnel traveling in civilian clothes. The group issued a warning to the Baloch public before the attack, advising them to stay away from the highway, and declared, “We have taken full control of all major highways across Balochistan, blocking them completely.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep grief and condemnation over the terrorist attack” in a statement released by his office.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, is rich in resources but remains the least developed. The BLA and other Baloch separatist groups have escalated their attacks on Punjabis and Sindhis from other parts of Pakistan working in the region. They have also targeted foreign energy companies, accusing them of exploiting the region without sharing the profits.
This attack follows a similar incident in April this year when nine passengers were taken off a bus in Balochistan and shot dead after their IDs were checked.
In the past 24 hours, the BLA has launched a series of attacks on multiple government installations, including police stations and security forces’ camps across the province. Several Western countries, including the UK and the US, have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organization.
