Armed men killed five people in an attack on the construction site of a small dam in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province. Officials announced the incident on Tuesday. This attack underscores a worsening security situation in the mineral-rich area.
The province has seen an increase in strikes by separatist ethnic militants. This month, an attack killed 21 miners working at privately run coal mines.
“We accept responsibility for killing seven informers and instrumentalists in Panjgur, Kech and Quetta,” said separatist militant group the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in a statement emailed to journalists.
Also See: A Dark Day in Balochistan’s History: The BLA’s Brutal Attacks
Violence in the Region
A decades-long insurgency in Balochistan by separatists has led to frequent attacks. Specifically, these attacks target the government, the army, and Chinese interests in the region. Ultimately, the insurgents aim to press their demands for a share in regional resources.
China runs a strategic deepwater port in the province. It also operates a gold and copper mine there. Additionally, China has been working with Islamabad to improve infrastructure in this underdeveloped province. Several attacks have targeted migrant workers employed by smaller, privately operated mines.
The five dead, and two wounded, all worked at the construction site in Panjgur, spokesperson for the Balochistan government Shahid Rind said in a statement, saying the attack took place late at night.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that close to a dozen assailants attacked the victims, who were watching over equipment at the dam construction site on behalf of a private contractor.
“Such cowardly attacks will not deter the government’s resolve to develop Balochistan,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement.
Besides the separatists, the region is also home to Islamist militants, who have become resurgent since 2022 after revoking a ceasefire with the government.
This news is sourced from [Reuters] and is for informational purposes only.
