Six bus passengers offloaded, killed in Gwadar

QUETTA: In Balochistan’s Gwadar district, unknown gunmen opened fire on a bus, killing six passengers in the Kalmat area in the early morning of Thursday.

According to the police, the attackers stopped the bus in the Kalmat area, between Pasni and Ormara and forced passengers to disembark after checking their ID cards, and shot them.

The attackers also took three passengers as hostages. The bus was on its way to Karachi.

Five people died on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries during treatment .

One of the victims was reportedly from Multan.

Meanwhile, Highway Police SSP Hafeez Baloch told Dawn that three long-body trailers, carrying urea for Afghanistan from Gwadar port were set on fire in the Tajaban area.

According to SSP Baloch, roads were also blocked in Turbat, Panjgur and Pasni. Levies officials said roadblocks were also witnessed in the Bolan, Kolpur and Mastung areas. Levies personnel said one of their vehicles was also set on fire in the Mastung area.

Security forces had moved towards the area where militants had blocked highways and operations to clear the roads were underway

CONDEMNATIONS

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the attack on passengers in Gwadar’s Kalmat area.

He expressed condolences to the families of the six victims and directed authorities to provide the best medical care to the injured. He ordered a thorough investigation to punish those responsible.

“Such elements are enemies of Balochistan’s peace and development,” the prime minister said. He added that cowardly attacks reflect the brutality of these terrorists and vowed never to let their anti-state agenda succeed.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the brutal incident in which passengers were killed in Gwadar.

“Terrorists targeted innocent civilians in a cowardly act,” he said. He called the act of identifying and killing passengers a sign of barbarism.

“These attacks cannot weaken the nation’s resolve against terrorism,” Naqvi added.

A few days ago, unknown assailants also killed four labourers from Punjab in Manguchar, Balochistan.

Assistant Commissioner Manguchar, Ali Gul, stated that armed men fired on labourers installing a tube well in Lang Zai. The deceased were from Sadiqabad, Punjab.

Jaffar Express to resume Peshawar-Quetta service from tomorrow