Unidentified gunmen launched a deadly attack on a cluster of small private coal mines in southwestern Pakistan, killing 21 miners as they slept and injuring several others. The assault occurred in the Duki area of Balochistan, a mineral-rich province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, just days before Pakistan is set to host a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
According to regional police official Asif Shafi, around 40 armed men were involved in the attack, which lasted approximately an hour and a half. The attackers fired rockets, hurled grenades, and executed miners lined up at the site. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on the Junaid Coal Company’s mines, although the assault injured six people, including four Afghan nationals.
In response to the violence, local businesses and shops closed down as hundreds gathered to protest, demanding the arrest of the assailants. Mine owner Khairullah Nasar, who also serves as the chairman of the district council, stated that they had received threats from militants but had no prior warning of the impending attack. The attackers reportedly set fire to all ten mines and destroyed equipment and machinery.
Balochistan has long been plagued by a decades-old insurgency, leading to frequent militant attacks as groups demand a greater share of regional resources. The province has seen a rise in violence targeting migrant workers, including those from Afghanistan, employed in smaller, privately operated mines.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and asserted that the government is “determined to root out all forms of terrorism.” The provincial government has ordered an investigation, and a case has been filed against unknown attackers under terrorism laws.
The recent incident highlights a resurgence of Islamist militancy in Pakistan, particularly since the breakdown of a ceasefire between the government and the Pakistani Taliban in 2022. Earlier this week, two Chinese nationals working at a power plant in Karachi were killed in a blast claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a prominent insurgent group. The BLA has been responsible for significant violence in the region, including an August attack that resulted in over 70 deaths.
In a separate incident last month, armed men killed seven laborers from Punjab province. On Friday, police engaged in crossfire with militants, resulting in the deaths of two suspects linked to a 2021 attack on dam project workers that claimed 13 lives, including nine Chinese nationals.
