In Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province, a group of heavily armed individuals attacked and besieged the quarters of twenty coal workers, killing them with gunshots throughout the night, according to authorities on Friday.
According to Asim Shafi, the commander of police in the Duki region where the attack occurred, up to 40 attackers opened fire on the miners for thirty minutes beginning at 12:30 am (1930 GMT on Thursday) “before escaping into the night”.
“They had rocket launchers and hand grenades with them.”
The number of deaths was also confirmed by Kaleemullah Kakar, a high-ranking district administration official.
The poorest province in Pakistan, mineral-rich Balochistan, is frequently the target of separatist militant groups that attack natural resource extraction operations.
The armed factions accuse foreign nations, particularly China, of hoarding wealth, as they are the ones funding and running many of the projects.
