QUETTA: At least seven passengers were brutally murdered in the Barkhan area of Balochistan late Tuesday night when unidentified gunmen stopped a passenger bus and abducted select individuals before executing them, officials said.
Attack Details:
- The assailants, armed with Kalashnikovs, halted a Quetta-to-Faisalabad bus on the National Highway in Rarkan.
- They fired into the air before boarding the bus and checking passengers’ identity cards.
- Seven individuals were forcibly taken to a nearby mountain, where gunshots were later heard.
- When law enforcement arrived, they found the bodies of the abducted passengers.
- The deceased were residents of Punjab, and their bodies were shifted to Rakni hospital.
Eyewitness Accounts:
- Zeeshan Mustafa, a passenger traveling to Multan, said the attackers took his brother after verifying his identity card.
- The gunmen numbered between 10 and 12, all heavily armed.
Aftermath & Government Response:
- Authorities have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the attackers.
- Balochistan CM Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the attack, calling it a “heinous act” and vowing a strong response.
- Security forces, including FC and Levies, have been deployed to the area.
- No group has claimed responsibility yet, and an investigation is underway.
- Traffic on the National Highway (connecting Punjab to Balochistan) has been suspended.
Rising Security Concerns:
- This tragedy follows a terrorist attack in Harnai last week, where 11 labourers were killed in a blast.
- January 2025 saw a 42% surge in terrorist attacks, with 74 militant incidents, 91 deaths, and 117 injuries, according to Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan remain the worst-affected regions.
The brutal killings in Barkhan underscore growing security threats in Balochistan, putting pressure on authorities to step up efforts against terrorist networks and ensure citizen safety.
