KARACHI, July 11: In a chilling act of violence, Baloch militants killed nine passengers from Punjab after intercepting two buses in the restive Balochistan province of southwest Pakistan late Thursday night. The incident occurred on the national highway in the Sur-Dakai area of Zhob district, confirmed Assistant Commissioner Zhob, Naveed Alam.
According to officials, the armed insurgents halted the Punjab-bound coaches, verified the identities of travelers by checking their ID cards, and forcibly offloaded nine passengers. The militants then executed all nine on the spot. The victims, hailing from various parts of Punjab province, were reportedly traveling for work.
“The bodies of the victims have been recovered and shifted to a hospital for post-mortem and burial procedures,” Alam stated. Security forces immediately suspended traffic on the highway and launched a large-scale search operation to apprehend the attackers.
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), a banned separatist group notorious for its attacks on security personnel and government infrastructure, claimed responsibility for the targeted killings. The group has long been involved in the violent insurgency that plagues the resource-rich province, often opposing the federal government’s policies and economic projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Condemning the massacre, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti called the killings “an unforgivable crime.” He vowed strict action against the perpetrators, stating, “The terrorists have proven that they are not human beings but cowardly beasts. The blood of innocents will not go in vain. The state will not allow these murderers to hide even underground.”
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also denounced the attack, describing it as an example of the worst kind of barbarity. “Targeting innocent travelers is a shameful and inhuman act. These terrorists will be brought to justice,” he said.
This targeted attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents by Baloch insurgents, who have a history of ambushing public transport and targeting individuals from Punjab and other provinces. Simultaneously, three other terrorist attacks were reported in Quetta, Loralai, and Mastung. While Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed the incidents, he assured that security forces had successfully repulsed the attacks without casualties.
Unconfirmed local media reports suggest that militants may have also attacked police stations, communication towers, and other government facilities across the province during the night.
Bordering Iran and Afghanistan, Balochistan has long been the epicenter of a violent separatist movement. Militant groups frequently target security personnel, public infrastructure, and the multibillion-dollar CPEC projects—jeopardizing both national stability and regional development.
