In the most recent outbreak of violence in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, gunmen killed six laborers in a raid that took place over the course of the night, according to officials.
Separatist violence and sectarian massacres have plagued Balochistan for decades, and assailants have a history of picking on laborers who are perceived as outsiders in the area.
According to two local officials, the incident happened in Turbat city, which is 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the Iranian border, while workers of Punjabi ancestry were constructing a private property.
“Gunmen entered an under-construction house and attacked eight sleeping labourers,” Saeed Ahmed Umrani, a senior local administration official, told AFP.
“Six were killed on the spot while the remaining two are critically injured,” he added.
Hussain Jan, another local official, confirmed the casualties and said “raids were conducted in the area to trace the assailants”.
The largest but poorest of Pakistan’s regions, despite having an abundance of natural resources, Balochistan has been the target of ethnic Baloch insurgents pushing for greater control.
They have in the past targeted foreigners working for energy companies they believe are abusing the region without sharing its riches, as well as ethnic Punjabis and Sindhis from other parts of Pakistan.
