Seven passengers were killed in a gun attack on a bus in Barakhan, Balochistan, after armed men stopped the vehicle on a national highway.
Security sources confirmed that the assailants set up a blockade on the highway in the Rarkan area and forced the passengers out of the bus, Express News reported.
The victims, who were travelling from Quetta to Faisalabad, were then shot dead after their identification cards were checked.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers were armed with Kalashnikov rifles and numbered between 10 and 12. One witness, a resident of Burewala, said the bus was heading from Quetta to Multan when the attack occurred.
Local authorities have confirmed the killings and said that the armed men are still believed to be in the area. The provincial administration has stopped passenger vehicles at several points, including Rakhni Bewatta and Mekhtar, as a precautionary measure.
Local sources say that the passengers who were killed were taken off the vehicle after their identification cards were checked.
The Assistant Commissioner of Barakhan also confirmed the deaths, stating that seven passengers from the bus were taken off and killed.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the brutal killing of seven innocent and unarmed passengers by terrorists in Barakhan district. He said that the terrorists are targeting innocent and defenseless people, and that the cowardly attack by enemies of peace is intolerable and will be met with a strong response.
He further stated that those involved in the incident will be brought to justice, and the terrorists responsible for killing Pakistanis will face the consequences.
The spokesperson for the Balochistan government stated that security forces, including Frontier Corps (FC) and Levies, have reached the site and are actively pursuing the terrorists.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday strongly condemned the killing of seven bus passengers in the Barkhan city of Balochistan.
In their separately issued statements, the president and the prime minister prayed for peace for the departed souls and strength for the bereaved families to bear the loss.
“The killing of innocent people is a coward and heinous act. The terrorists are the enemies of peace and humanity. They want to mar the peace in Balochistan,” the president said and assured that the perpetrators would be taken to the task.
Prime Minister Shehbaz directed the authorities concerned to bring the perpetrators to justice and said that the killers of innocent citizens would have to pay a heavy price for their act.
“The sacrifices of innocent citizens will not go in vain. The government and security forces are actively working to eliminate terrorism from the country completely,” the prime minister remarked.
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