Three oil tankers attacked by armed men in Mastung

Two of the tankers, carrying smuggled petrol from Iran, caught fire after being shot at

QUETTA: Three oil tankers, carrying smuggled petrol from Iran, were attacked on Saturday in Mastung district, about 45 kilometres off Quetta.

They were on their way to Quetta from Taftan, a bordering town with Iran, when they entered an infrequent route near Mastung to avoid security checks at the Basham check post in the Panjpai area.

Unidentified men opened fire on the oil tankers in the mountainous area, a few kilometres away from the last check post. As a result, two of the oil tankers caught fire and burnt to ashes.

“The oil tankers were carrying smuggled Iranian oil which was going to be sold in Quetta,” Anwar Baloch, a senior official in Mastung told The Express Tribune, adding that the attack was a fight between two rival smuggler groups.

“The drivers are in custody and are being questioned,” Baloch added.

The Balochistan Levies personnel rushed to the spot soon after the intense firing but the armed group which carried out the attack managed to flee the site.