QUETTA: Five road construction workers were killed and another critically injured on Monday, Aug. 24, when heavily armed attackers opened fire at a construction site in Pishin district, Balochistan, targeting laborers and machinery involved in a double-road project.
The deadly attack took place in the Saranan Sulemanzai area, where the workers were busy on the road project. The attackers also targeted heavy machinery at the site before fleeing the area, according to reports.
The incident sparked strong condemnation from Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, who expressed grief over the deaths and offered condolences to the victims families.
Bugti said attacks on workers and important development projects would not be allowed to derail peace and progress in the province. He also vowed that those responsible would face justice.
Balochistan Chief Minister’s Adviser for Information and Political Affairs Shahid Rind also condemned the attack, calling the killing of hardworking laborers a brutal act.
“The targeting of innocent and hard-working labourers is clear proof of the terrorists utter brutality,” Rind said. “These workers were actively contributing to the construction and development of our province. Attacking individuals earning an honest living is a grave crime against humanity.”
“Terrorists cannot shatter the peace, development, or unyielding resolve of the people of Balochistan,” he further said.
Authorities launched a security operation in the area following the attack as investigators worked to trace the perpetrators. The bodies of the slain workers and the injured laborer were taken to a hospital, according to reports.
The latest violence came only days after an attack on a police station in Saranan. Armed men reportedly stormed the facility and later blew it up with explosives. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for that attack.
The back-to-back attacks have raised fresh concerns over security in the area, particularly around workers and development projects. Rind said state institutions and the public remained united against terrorism and would not allow violence to halt development in Balochistan.
“The elements involved in this attack will be brought to justice at all costs,” he said. Authorities have continued efforts to identify the attackers and determine their links to the deadly assault.
