An attack on miners in Pakistan has left 20 people dead and more than half a dozen wounded in the Balochistan province, just before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the country. Approximately 40 gunmen raided the living quarters of workers at a coal mine in Duki district around 12.30am local time, opening fire on them, as confirmed by the police. The brutal incident lasted for about 30 minutes before the attackers managed to escape, taking weapons such as rocket launchers and hand grenades with them.
Among the victims, three deceased workers and four of the wounded were reported to be Afghans, while the majority were Pashtun from Balochistan, according to the police. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, speculations point towards the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, known for targeting civilians and security forces in the region. The assault has sparked widespread condemnation from Pakistan’s interior minister and Balochistan’s chief minister, who have described the perpetrators as terrorists targeting innocent labourers with the aim of destabilising the nation.
This attack is the latest in a series of terrorist incidents in recent months that have raised concerns regarding Pakistan’s capability to ensure the security of foreign leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Islamabad on 15 and 16 October. Balochistan is home to several separatist groups criticising the federal government for alleged exploitation of the province’s natural resources, often resorting to violence against resource extraction projects.
In August, the Balochistan Liberation Army carried out multiple assaults resulting in the deaths of more than 50 individuals, leading to a security crackdown that claimed the lives of 21 insurgents in the province. The separatist group has recently claimed responsibility for an attack outside the Karachi airport, which resulted in the deaths of two Chinese citizens. In response to the increased threat, Pakistan’s interior ministry has deployed troops to secure the capital and urged provincial governments to bolster security measures in preparation for potential attacks by separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban during the upcoming summit.