Gunmen Kill 7 Punjabi Passengers in Balochistan, Pakistan: Security Situation Escalates

Gunmen Kill 7 Punjabi Passengers in Balochistan, Pakistan: Security Situation Escalates

Quetta, Pakistan: Seven Punjabi passengers were shot dead on Tuesday night in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan, a government official confirmed. According to the official, a group of armed attackers targeted a passenger bus traveling on a highway in Balochistan, identifying and killing the Punjabi passengers. Saadat Hussain, a senior official in Balochistan, stated that the attackers punctured the bus's tires to stop it, then demanded the passengers' identity cards. After identifying the passengers as being from Punjab, the attackers took them off the bus and shot them dead. "The passengers from Punjab province were identified and taken off the bus, where they were shot and killed," Hussain said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of now. Balochistan has been plagued by sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence for many years, with security forces struggling to maintain order in the region. The province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, has long been associated with poverty despite being rich in mineral resources.