Militant Attack in Balochistan Leaves 23 Dead: Vehicles Set Ablaze

Militants in Balochistan, Pakistan, attacked vehicles on a highway, killing 23 people. Armed men blocked the route and shot passengers after ID checks, targeting drivers and setting ten vehicles on fire. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility, and the Pakistani government vowed retaliation.

Militants orchestrated a brutal attack on a highway in southwestern Pakistan, claiming the lives of 23 individuals, according to officials on Monday. The assailants targeted a range of vehicles, from buses to trucks, and ignited ten vehicles.

Senior Superintendent Ayub Achakzai confirmed that armed men blocked the route in Balochistan on Sunday night, forcibly removing passengers from vehicles and executing them after scrutinizing their identity cards. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi corroborated the death toll, initially reported as 22 by Achakzai.

'The attackers not only murdered passengers but also killed the drivers of coal-carrying trucks,' said Hameed Zahir, Deputy Commissioner of the area. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed the attack, alleging their goal was military personnel in civilian clothes. Pakistan's Interior Ministry, however, insists the victims were innocent civilians. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and pledged retaliation.

(With inputs from agencies.)