At least 20 miners have been killed and seven others injured in an attack by armed assailants on a private coal mine in the Duki region of Balochistan on Friday, according to police reports.
The attack occurred amidst growing security concerns across the nation, particularly in Balochistan, where a series of terror incidents in August resulted in the loss of at least 50 lives.
“A group of armed men targeted the Junaid Coal Company mines in Duki during the early hours, using heavy weaponry,” said Duki Station House Officer (SHO) Humayun Khan.
They also launched rockets and grenades at the mines, SHO Khan further mentioned.
Dr Johar Khan Shadizai, a physician in Duki, stated: “We have so far received 20 bodies and six injured individuals at the district hospital.”
No organisation has claimed responsibility for the assault.
Khairullah Nasir, Chairman of the Duki District Council, also confirmed the incident, noting that the attackers used “hand grenades, rocket launchers, and other advanced weapons” in the attack.
He further revealed that the assailants had set fire to “10 coal engines and machinery.”
Nasir confirmed that the district administration, police, and Frontier Corps (FC) teams had arrived at the scene of the incident.
Duki Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kaleemullah Kakar and the Assistant Commissioner (AC) visited the site, where the FC commandant and the Duki Superintendent of Police were present. A joint operation was carried out to recover the remaining bodies.
Speaking to the press, DC Kakar mentioned that the victims were from different parts of Pakistan as well as Afghanistan.