Islamabad, July 11(HS): Armed militants abducted nine passengers from two buses in the Sur-Dakai area of Balochistan while en route to Punjab, subsequently killing them on Thursday night. The banned Balochistan Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the incident.

Zhob’s assistant commissioner, Naveed Alam, confirmed the recovery of the victims’ bodies, which are being sent to their native towns in Punjab for burial. The militants targeted three areas, including Sur-Dakai, where the buses were stopped due to a blockage on the N-70 highway. Passengers’ identities were checked, and ten individuals were forcibly removed at gunpoint. A witness reported hearing gunshots soon after.

Security forces initiated a search operation and set up barricades along the highway to locate the perpetrators. A spokesperson for the Balochistan Liberation Front stated that the militants blocked the highway before committing the murders. Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the attack, criticizing the targeting of innocent civilians. He noted that the government had established standard operating procedures for bus safety and imposed restrictions on nighttime travel on the N-70 highway.

Despite implementing these measures, a bus departed in the evening, leading to the incident. The government is investigating security lapses and had previously heightened security in response to a general threat, although trains had been halted without any threats reported in the incident area.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar