Gas company attacked in Musakhel, machinery burnt, 20 workers abducted

QUETTA: Balochistan continues to suffer from violence as more than 20 labourers were “abducted” by armed men in Musakhel, police said on Sunday. The gunmen opened fire on the camp of the labourers working for a gas company, set ablaze eight bulldozers and took away over 20 labourers with them, the police added. The incident comes hours after seven labourers were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in a house in the province’s Panjgur district. Police detailed that the labourers were residing in a house in the district’s Khuda-e-Abadan area, where the incident occurred and left seven people dead and one wounded. The Panjgur deputy commissioner also confirmed the gruesome incident and said that the attackers barged into the house and opened fire at the residents. Police officials told the media that the deceased and injured persons were shifted to Panjgur District Hospital. Meanwhile, a search operation has been launched to track down the perpetrators of the brutal attack. Both the Musakhel and Panjgur incidents reflect the security challenges faced by the province which has witnessed the brunt of terrorist attacks, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, amid the increase in terrorist incidents faced by the country in recent months. Last month, 23 passengers were killed after being offloaded from buses and trucks in the Rarasham area of Muskhel district. According to a report, during the second quarter of the current year, the country witnessed 380 violence-linked fatalities and 220 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws. Earlier, unidentified militants late on Saturday night barged into a house and opened indiscriminate fire on the occupants, leaving behind seven labourers dead. Police detailed that the labourers, hailing from different areas of Punjab, were residing in a house in the district’s Khuda-i-Abadan area, where the incident occurred and left seven people dead and one wounded. The Panjgur deputy commissioner also confirmed the gruesome incident and said that the attackers barged into the house and opened fire at the residents. Police officials told the media that the deceased and injured persons were shifted to Panjgur District Hospital. According to the details, the labourers were from Shujabaad and were related to each other. They have been identified as Sajid, Shafiq, Fayaz, Iftikhar, Khalid, Salman and Allah Wasaya. Meanwhile, condemning the Panjgur incident, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have expressed sorrow and have offered condolences to the bereaved families. “Targeting innocent labourers and citizens is a very brutal and reprehensible act,” said President Zardari. Whereas, PM Shehbaz has reiterated the government’s resolve to “root out all forms of terrorism” from the country.