Four private contractors were killed after Banned BLA attackers riding motorcycles opened fire on their pickup near Jiwani, close to the Pakistan-Iran border in Gwadar, police said. The terrorists also set the vehicle on fire and fled after reportedly taking a substantial amount of cash from the victims.
According to police, the assailants intercepted the pickup and opened fire on the occupants, killing all four at the scene. After the shooting, the attackers torched the vehicle before leaving the area with the money reportedly being carried by the victims.
The deceased have been identified as Ghulam Mustafa from Layyah, Sanam Masih from Sheikhupura, Kanwal Shehzad from Quetta and Danish Iqbal from Karak. Their bodies were shifted to GDA Hospital for further procedures.
Police also recovered a motorcycle abandoned by the attackers at the scene. The vehicle was taken into custody as investigators began efforts to identify those responsible and determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
According to police and security sources, the attack was carried out by terrorists affiliated with the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The incident has raised renewed concerns over the targeting of private workers and commercial activity in areas of Balochistan where terrorists groups have sought to disrupt movement and economic activity.
The Jiwani attack also follows a series of incidents in which the BLA has been a looting, extortion and the targeting of commercial transport.
In January 2025, BLA terrorists attacked Zehri in Khuzdar, where more than Rs90 million was reportedly looted from a private bank after the attackers took bank staff hostage. The incident was followed by security operations in the area.
In February 2025, terrorists reportedly established blockades on sections of the Quetta-Sibi Highway at Pir Ghaib and Aab Ghum. According to reports cited by Balochistan Pulse, vehicles carrying passengers returning from a religious gathering were stopped and occupants were forced to hand over cash, mobile phones and watches. Security forces later intervened and killed three attackers.
The targeting of commercial vehicles has also remained a recurring feature of terrorists activity. In March 2026, BLA terrorists reportedly intercepted mineral trucks near Kalag Cross in Kharan, forced drivers out of their vehicles and set trucks on fire after alleged extortion demands were not met.
The latest incident in Jiwani is particularly significant because the victims were private contractors travelling for work. Their deaths underscore the risks faced by civilian workers involved in commercial activity in Balochistan, where attacks on private vehicles and transport routes can have consequences beyond the immediate loss of life.
Security forces have continued intelligence-based operations against terrorist networks across the province, targeting hideouts and preventing militants from establishing illegal checkpoints or disrupting major transportation routes.
The combination of attacks, extortion and looting has also increasingly brought civilian economic activity into the security challenge. For workers, contractors, transporters and businesses, maintaining secure routes remains essential to keeping commercial activity and development projects operational.
Police have continued their investigation into the Jiwani attack, while efforts are under way to trace the attackers and establish the full circumstances of the incident.
