QUETTA – Militants killed seven people after forcing them out of their vehicle on Balochistan’s national highway amid surge in insurgency in the restive region.
The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday night, when Punjab going passengers come under deadly attack in Barkhan district. The assailants checked passengers’ ID cards before taking seven individuals.
Local officials said attackers fired shots into the air to stop the bus before taking the passengers to a nearby mountain, where they were killed. Later, bodies of abducted passengers were found.
The victims, all residents of different cities in Punjab, were traveling on the bus, which was en route from Quetta to Faisalabad. The bus had at least 45 passengers on board. Zeeshan Mustafa, a passenger from Burewala, shared that his brother was among those abducted after the gunmen checked their identity cards.
Levies, police launched search operation to nab the assailants and have cordoned off the area. In response to the attack, traffic on the National Highway connecting Punjab and Balochistan has been temporarily suspended.
The incident further raised concerns over safety and security in the region, prompting local authorities to intensify efforts to track down those responsible for this brutal attack.
