Thousands protest as 20 coal miners slain
People mourn their relatives, who were coal miners from the minority Shia Hazara community killed in an attack in Mach area of Bolan district, as they protest demanding justice, in Quetta, January 4. — Reuters
Thousands of protesters in the Duki town of Balochistan marched against the brutal slaying of 20 coal miners by unidentified armed men. The demonstrators carried the bodies of the deceased and demanded justice.
The demonstrators urged the government to take swift action against the attackers, with tensions high in the town as security forces increase their presence to maintain order.
The incident, late on Thursday night, saw 20 coal miners killed, and several others injured when gunmen launched a brutal attack on the Junaid coal mine in Balochistan's District Duki.
The assailants, equipped with grenades and rocket launchers, stormed the mining site, destroying machinery and equipment in a violent rampage.
According to Humayoun Nasar, a local police officer, the levies forces, alongside the police, responded quickly to the scene, recovering the victims. He added they also led the rescue operation.
Duki Deputy Commissioner Haji Khairullah and assistant commissioner coordinated medical relief efforts, mobilising teams to the district headquarters hospital (DHQ).
Seven miners with critical injuries were transferred to Loralai Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital for advanced treatment, with ambulances dispatched from the commissioner's office. However, those seriously injured in the attack were brought to Quetta for medical treatment.
"We have received four seriously injured of the Duki attack", Waseem Baig, the spokesman for the Quetta Civil Hospital told The Express Tribune.
The victims of the attack included workers from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Local authorities, along with security personnel, are conducting a joint operation to recover the bodies and secure the area. "Three victims belong to Afghanistan," Humayoun Nasar said.
The FC commandant and Superintendent of Duki police led the rescue and recovery efforts, ensuring all bodies were accounted for.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the terrorist attack and vowed swift action to apprehend the perpetrators. "This is a terrorist attack, and those responsible will not be spared," Bugti assured, promising justice for the victims and their families.
Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail and provincial ministers, including Mir Sadiq Umrani, also condemned the attack, calling for immediate arrests.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has taken over the investigation, and an FIR has been filed. Authorities have tightened security at other mining sites across Balochistan, a region long plagued by violent attacks and safety challenges for its workers.
This devastating attack underscores the ongoing risks faced by coal miners in Balochistan, where violence and hazardous working conditions pose a constant threat to their safety. "We want justice for these poor miners," Haji Allah Noor Nasar told The Express Tribune via telephone.
He said the provincial government had failed to protect the lives and properties of the masses. "Is this a government which cannot protect these poor people?" he lamented.
Almost all political parties including PKMAP, PPP, BNP (Mengal), NP, ANP, Pashtoonkhwa National Awami Party, JUI-F and others strongly condemned the attack and expressed grief and sorrow over the tragic incident.