Eleven miners shot dead in Balochistan terror raid

QUETTA/ MACH – Eleven coal miners were shot and killed when terrorists opened gunfire on them in Balochistan’s Mach district on Sunday morning, police and rescue workers said. The terrorist targeted the miners in Gashthri area.

According to local police, at least 11 mines were killed after “armed militants kidnapped and took them to a nearby area before opening fire” at point-blank range. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched search operation soon after the incident. 

President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned the brutal killings and called the act as “inhumane, dirty and cowardly.”  

The president expressed the resolve of the state to bring killers of this heinous act to justice. “The killing of 11 coal miners in Mach is a dirty & cowardly act. The state is committed to finding these heinous killers who must be flushed out, exposed from underneath every slimy stone & snake pit and punished,” the president tweeted.  Dr Alvi also prayed for the eternal peace of the innocent miners.

Prime Minister Imran Khan while condemning the killings called it “yet another cowardly inhumane act of terrorism. In a tweet, the Prime Minister directed the Frontier Corps to use all resources to apprehend the killers and bring them to justice. “The families of the victims will not be left abandoned by the government,” he said.

Following the ruthless killings, Balochistan Governor and Chief Minister directed the authorities to submit reports of the incident with 24 hours. The police and law enforcement agencies are also directed to

Thoroughly investigate the terror attack and bring the criminals to justice as soon as possible. The authorities are also ordered to take all possible measures against those elements involved in the killing of the workers. 

In press statements both the Governor and the CM said the terrorists cowardly attacked innocent people in order to destabilise the province with the aim to achieve their nefarious design. “Such heinous design of anti-elements would be foiled with contribution of the security forces and nation at any cost,” they said. 

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal also strongly condemned the terrorist attack and sought the report about the incident. In a statement, he said the attempt to derail peace in the province would not be allowed and those who targeted innocent miners do not deserve any mercy.

Interior Minister seeks report from IG

Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday while strongly condemning killing of innocent coal miners in Mach (Balochistan), sought report into the tragic incident from Inspector General Balochistan. In a tweet, the Interior Minister said terrorists would not succeed in their nefarious designs and those involved in this heinous act deserved no leniency.

He said such cowardly and inhumane act could not bow down our nation’s commitment. The minister prayed for the eternal peace of the martyrs and early recovery of the injured into the incident.