Gunmen Kill 20 Miners, Injure 7 in Pakistan's Balochistan

Balochistan: A massive attack has been reported in Pakistan ; 20 miners were killed by gunmen while seven others were seriously injured on Thursday night. The reason behind the attack is yet to be ascertained and no one as of now has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Balochistan Attack: 20 Miners Killed, 7 Injured

Gunmen killed 20 miners and wounded another seven in Pakistan ’s southwest, a police official said Friday.

It’s the latest attack in restive Balochistan province and comes days ahead of a major security summit being hosted in the capital.

Gunmen Opened Fire in Miners' Accommodations

Police official Hamayun Khan Nasir said the gunmen stormed the accommodations at the coal mine in Duki district late Thursday night, rounded up the men and opened fire. Most of the men were from Pashtun-speaking areas of Balochistan. Three of the dead and four of the wounded were Afghan.

Who Is Behind Attack on Miners in Balochistan?

As of now, nobody has claimed immediate responsibility for the attack. The province is home to separatist groups who want independence. They accuse the federal government in Islamabad of unfairly exploiting oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan at the expense of locals.

On Monday, a group called the Baloch Liberation Army said it carried out an attack on Chinese nationals outside Pakistan ’s biggest airport. There are thousands of Chinese working in the country, most of them involved in Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

(This is a developing story, further details are awaited.)

(Inputs from AP)