International
Gunmen Kill 22 in Pakistan
The attack occurred overnight on a highway in Balochistan province, a region plagued by sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence.
The assailants reportedly targeted individuals from Punjab, shooting them before setting their vehicles on fire. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack in the Musa Khel district. In the past 24 hours, the BLA has launched a series of assaults on government installations, including police stations and security camps across the province.
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In Kalat, 11 people were killed, including five security personnel, and six bodies were recovered in another district. Najibullah Kakar, a senior local official, stated that around 30 to 40 militants were involved in the Musa Khel attack. “They stopped 22 vehicles,” he told AFP news agency, adding that they specifically targeted individuals from Punjab.
The BLA claimed they were targeting military personnel disguised in civilian clothing. Before the attack, the group warned the Baloch public to avoid the highway, stating that their “fight is against the occupying Pakistani military.” They also claimed to have taken control of all major highways in Balochistan, blocking them completely.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep grief and condemnation over the terrorist attack” in a statement from his office. Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, is rich in resources but remains the least developed. The BLA and other Baloch separatists have escalated attacks on Punjabis and Sindhis working in the region, as well as foreign energy companies they accuse of exploiting local resources without sharing profits.
In a similar incident in April, nine passengers were removed from a bus in Balochistan and shot dead after their identities were checked. Several Western countries, including the UK and US, have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organization.
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