9 Bus Passengers Kidnapped, Killed in Pakistan's Balochistan

Nine Bus Passengers Kidnapped and Killed in Pakistan's Balochistan Province

In a tragic and brutal incident, nine bus passengers were kidnapped and killed by armed men in Pakistan’s volatile southwestern Balochistan province, officials confirmed on Friday.

According to Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial government, the victims were abducted from multiple buses on Thursday evening. The attackers reportedly led them into the nearby mountainous terrain, where their bodies were later found. “Their bodies, bearing bullet wounds, were discovered in the mountains overnight,” added another government official, Naveed Alam.

As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, authorities suspect the involvement of separatist Baloch militants, who have a history of targeting individuals, particularly those identified as being from Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a prominent insurgent group active in the region, is known for orchestrating such attacks. The mineral-rich province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has long been a center of separatist unrest. Ethnic Baloch insurgents accuse the Pakistani government of exploiting Balochistan’s vast natural resources to benefit Punjab, while neglecting local development and marginalizing the Baloch people.

This incident marks another grim reminder of the ongoing instability and violence in the region.