Balochistan: Gunmen kill 9 passengers from Punjab after ID check on bus near Noshki

Nine individuals from Punjab were fatally shot near Noshki, Balochistan early on Saturday after being forced off a bus by armed men and executed, according to authorities. Another incident involving a different vehicle resulted in two fatalities.

Around 10 to 12 armed men set up a blockade on the Quetta-Taftan Highway N-40 close to Sultan Charhai near Noshki and took nine passengers from a bus, Deputy Commissioner Habibullah Musakhel informed media.

The armed men verified the IDs of those on the bus headed to Taftan and then abducted them, Musakhel stated. The kidnapped men were later found slain.

After around an hour and a half, the bodies were located under a nearby bridge, Musakhel mentioned. It remains unknown if their possessions were stolen.

All nine victims were from Punjab, Noshki Station House Officer Asad Mengal disclosed to media. These men hailed from Wazirabad, Mandi Bahauddin, and Gujranwala, as confirmed by their identification documents.

In a separate assault on the same highway, gunmen opened fire on a car that attempted to break through their blockade, killing one occupant and wounding four others, the SHO reported.

The vehicle tried to pass but was shot at by the gunmen, causing its tires to blow out and the car to flip over, according to SHO Mengal. Two local individuals lost their lives in this second assault. One of the people in the car was a sibling of provincial assembly member Ghulam Dastgir Badini, he added.

In a separate attack on the same highway, another car attempting to push through the blockade set up by gunmen came under fire, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to four others, according to the SHO.

The car continued to drive, prompting the gunmen to open fire and ultimately blow out the car’s tires. This caused the vehicle to flip over, SHO Mengal explained. In this second incident, two local individuals were killed, with one of the victims being the brother of Ghulam Dastgir Badini, a member of the provincial assembly, added the SHO.

News Channel reporter confirmed both incidents occurred at the same checkpoint.

Victim’s bodies were transported to the Quetta, Noshki Civil Hospital, as confirmed by the Medical Superintendent Zafar Mengal to Dawn.com.

Thus far, no organization has taken responsibility for these assaults.

President Asif Ali Zardari has denounced these attacks and articulated the nation’s dismissal of the malicious aims of the attackers.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also expressed strong disapproval of the aggression and has requested a detailed report on the matter, as reported by Radio Pakistan.