In a terrorist act by the designated Baloch Liberation Army, seven passengers were shot dead in Barkhan, Balochistan, after BLA’s armed men intercepted a bus on a national highway.
According to security sources, the attackers had set up a roadblock in the Rarkan area, forcing the bus to stop. They then made passengers disembark and checked their identification cards before executing them.
Attackers targeted the victims in Barkhan while they were traveling from Quetta to Faisalabad. Witnesses stated that 10 to 12 assailants armed with Kalashnikov rifles carried out the attack. One witness, a resident of Burewala, mentioned that the bus was en route from Quetta to Multan when the attack occurred.
Authorities confirmed the incident and believe the perpetrators remain in the vicinity. As a precaution, the provincial administration has halted passenger vehicles at various points, including Rakhni Bewatta and Mekhtar.
The Assistant Commissioner of Barkhan confirmed that unidentified individuals took seven passengers off the bus and killed them.
Official Condemnations
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly denounced the brutal killing of unarmed and innocent passengers, calling the attack an unforgivable act of terrorism. He emphasized that targeting defenseless civilians was an act of cowardice and vowed that the perpetrators would face severe consequences.
He assured that authorities would bring those responsible to justice and would not tolerate such acts of violence against the people.
A spokesperson for the Balochistan government stated that security forces, including the Frontier Corps (FC) and Levies, had reached the scene. They have launched a manhunt to apprehend the attackers.
Reaction from National Leadership
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also strongly condemned the killings. In their separate statements, they expressed their condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls.
President Zardari labeled the attack as a “cowardly and heinous act.” He declared that terrorists were enemies of both peace and humanity, aiming to disrupt stability in Balochistan. He assured that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to hold the killers accountable. He reaffirmed that those responsible would pay a heavy price for their crimes.
“The sacrifices of innocent citizens will not be in vain.The prime minister declared the government’s and security forces’ full commitment to eradicating terrorism from the country.
Earlier on 27 August 2024, BLA blocked the inter-provincial highway in the remote Rarasham area of the district connecting Punjab with Balochistan. Gunmen singled out twenty-three bus passengers from Punjab after an identity check. They lined them up on the road and shot them dead.
A United Nations report has revealed that the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), through its Majeed Brigade, executed several high-casualty attacks across south-western Pakistan. These attacks took place in Awaran, Panjgur, and Dalbandin during the reporting period, according to the report. Notably, the Majeed Brigade has incorporated women into its ranks.
The report observed that the Majeed Brigade maintains connections with the banned TTP, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), and ETIM/TIP. It also collaborates with these groups in its operational bases in Afghanistan. This emerging nexus between the BLA, which traditionally pursues ethno-nationalist objectives, and religiously inspired terrorist groups like TTP is significant. It indicates a strategic convergence of interests.
