Gunmen kill six, torch vehicles in Balochistan’s Panjgur

QUETTA: Unidentified gunmen killed six people in a shooting attack in the Panjugur district of Balochistan, police and local officials said on Monday, in the latest violence in the restive region bordering Iran.

The attack took place in the Chidgi Dasht area of Panjgur district, about 60 km (37 miles) from Panjgur city, near the Iranian border, security officials said adding that assailants fled the scene after firing.

Two of the victims were identified as Dawood, son of Awaz Jan, and Saleem, son of Haji Faiz Mohammad, residents of the border village of Nakar.

The identities of the remaining four were being confirmed, officials said.

The bodies were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Panjgur, where doctors said most of the victims died from bullet wounds.

Assistant Commissioner Panjgur Amir Jan said that an investigation had been launched and security forces had been put on alert. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police said the motive was not yet clear but did not rule out terrorism. A search operation was under way to track down the attackers.

Eyewitnesses said the gunmen arrived on motorcycles and opened fire indiscriminately, killing six people on the spot.

They also set two vehicles ablaze before escaping, spreading panic in the area.

Police and security forces reached the site about an hour later and cordoned off the area.

Chidgi Dasht lies northwest of Panjgur near the Iran border, a region that has witnessed tensions linked to smuggling routes and cross-border movement.

Balochistanhas long faced an insurgency by ethnic Baloch separatist groups.

Panjgur district has seen a series of recent incidents, including improvised explosive device blasts and targeted shootings.

Police officials said the torching of vehicles indicated the assault was planned.