Duki (Web Desk): At least 20 miners were killed and seven injured as a group of armed men attacked a private coal company coal mines in Balochistan’s Duki district in the wee hours using heavy weapons, the media reports said quoting police officials.
According to police sources, the incident occurred when some unknown armed assailants attacked a private coal mine with heavy arms.
District Chairman Duki, Haji Khairullah Nasir, said that the attackers targeted the coal mines, firing at the workers and setting fire to the mining equipment.
He said that police and FC (Frontier Corps) were informed of the attack, but none of the security forces' personnel had arrived at the scene.
The police officials said that the armed individuals gathered the workers in groups and opened fire on them. SHO Duki, Humayun Khan Nasir, confirmed that 17 bodies have been transported to the civil hospital, and more are being shifted.
As per the local authorities, among the deceased, two were from Afghanistan, three from Pishin, one from Kuchlak, four from Killa Saifullah, three from Zhob, and another one from Loralai. All of the deceased and injured workers were Pashtun.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned the terrorist attack killing several miners in the Duki area of Balochistan.
In a statement, the premier sought a report from the authorities concerned on the incident and reiterated his government’s resolve to purge the country of terrorism.
He expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and conveyed his sympathies to the families of the slain miners.
He prayed to Allah Almighty for peace for the departed souls and early recovery of the injured, instructing the relevant authorities to ensure their best medical treatment.
Meanwhile, Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is the acting president as President Zardari is on a visit to Turkmenistan, also expressed his regret over the killings.
He said that those who attacked the workers had sunk to unprecedented levels of brutality and must be given strict punishment.
In a statement Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed his anger over the incident and ordered “immediate and effective action against the terrorists”.
“The terrorists have crossed the limits of brutality and oppression by once again targeting poor labourers,” CM Bugti said, adding that the perpetrators’ “agenda was to destabilise Pakistan”.
He said that ordinary poor labourers are targeted as they are considered a ‘soft target’. He said that terrorists are cowards, vowing to hold them accountable for the “killing of each innocent person”.
“We will wipe out the terrorists and clear this homeland of their existence. The victory will be of the righteous in the war against terrorism,” the Balochistan CM asserted.
Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi has strongly condemned the brutal attack on coal miners in the Duki area of Balochistan, where 20 workers were tragically killed by armed individuals.
The minister expressed deep sorrow over the incident, labeling it a grave tragedy for the nation.
In a statement, Naqvi conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, offering sympathy and support to those affected by the loss. “We share the grief of the bereaved families equally,” he stated, emphasizing the government’s solidarity with the mourning families during this difficult time.
He also prayed for the swift recovery of those injured in the attack and reassured the public that justice would be served.
“The malicious elements involved in this tragic incident will not escape the law,” Naqvi declared, vowing that the perpetrators of this heinous crime would face the full force of justice.
The interior minister stated that those responsible for the senseless killing of innocent workers would not be granted any leniency, stressing the need for accountability and ensuring the safety of labourers across the country.