Five laborers were killed when unidentified armed men opened fire in Mashkhel, Washuk district, police sources confirmed.
The victims, hailing from different areas of Punjab, were working at local shops when the assailants targeted them. The attackers fled away from the scene immediately after the shooting.
Police said that after completing necessary legal procedures, the bodies of the deceased were being sent to their native towns in Punjab. Authorities have launched an investigation to trace and apprehend those responsible.
Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the brutal killing, describing it as a heinous act of terrorism against innocent citizens. He emphasized that the victims were not merely Punjabi workers but Pakistani citizens, hardworking laborers, and “our own brothers.” Bugti stressed that the attack was not directed at any single province or ethnicity but was an assault on Pakistan’s unity, constitution, and state.
He declared that terrorists hiding behind the guise of so-called freedom movements have exposed their malicious agenda by targeting defenseless workers.
“Their objective is not a struggle for rights but to spread terror, hatred, bloodshed, and destabilize Pakistan,” Bugti said. He vowed that anti-state elements and their facilitators would not be forgiven, and every drop of blood shed by Pakistani citizens would be accounted for. Bugti assured that decisive action will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the brutal killing of five innocent labourers by terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan in the Mashkel area of Washuk district.
Expressing heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families, the prime minister said targeting innocent and unarmed labourers was an extremely barbaric and cowardly act that deserved the strongest possible condemnation.
“The elements involved in such heinous crimes against humanity deserve no leniency,” he said.
Shehbaz Sharif said the terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan were targeting innocent civilians to pursue their nefarious objectives, but such cowardly attacks could never shake the nation’s resolve to eliminate terrorism.
The government and the security forces remain fully committed to eradicating terrorism from the country and ensuring the protection of every citizen’s life and property,” he added.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the killing of five innocent people in a firing incident in Mashkel area of Balochistan. The chief minister expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathy with the bereaved families. She said targeting innocent and unarmed labourers was an extremely cowardly act.
The violence comes as security forces killed another seven terrorists during the ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan, following which the total number of terrorists killed in the operation reached 71, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.
Operation Shaban is being jointly carried out across the province by the army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police following the terrorist July 7 attack in the Mangi Dam area, in which 27 police personnel were martyred.
Citing security sources, Radio Pakistan said a total of 109 “khawarij terrorists” have been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations in Balochistan since July 5.
The outlet had earlier reported that three terrorists were killed, and later said another four were eliminated in the Saran Tangi area.
Security sources said a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the possession of the killed terrorists. The recovered weapons include M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones, and other equipment.
Security sources reaffirmed that Operation Shaban will continue in Balochistan until the last terrorist is eliminated.
PTV News reported that air and ground operations against Fitna-al-Khawarij – a term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – were also ongoing.
In the July 7 attack on a police checkpost, terrorists had martyred nine police personnel and taken away 18 other cops at gunpoint. Later, they killed the abducted police personnel, whose bodies were found in the Zarghoon Gar mountainous area.
Following Sunday’s update of the killing of three more terrorists in Operation Shaban, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi lauded the security forces, the FC and police.
“The action by the Pakistan Army, FC and police is reflective of the protection of national security. […] There is no place for terrorist elements in Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying by his ministry.
He added that the nation was standing with the security forces and action against terrorists would continue.
Earlier in the day, Sarfraz Bugti visited the village of Babri in Hanna Urak to review the ongoing counter-terrorism Operation Shaban.
During the visit, he met with police personnel actively engaged in the operation and praised their bravery, determination, and professional competence.
He reaffirmed that operations against terrorists and their facilitators would continue with full force until the last terrorist would be eliminated. “The war against terrorism will not stop until sustainable peace is established in Balochistan,” Sarfraz Bugti declared.
Later, the Chief Minister met with the families of martyrs of the Hanna Urak tragedy, offering condolences and prayers. He assured them of complete government support and assistance, emphasizing that the sacrifices of the martyrs will never be forgotten.