Gunmen fatally shot at least 23 passengers after identifying them and taking them from buses, vehicles and trucks in one of the deadliest attacks in southwestern Pakistan. Police said the killings happened overnight Sunday, Aug. 25, and the attackers burned at least 10 vehicles before fleeing the scene in Baluchistan.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet, but separatists in that area have often killed workers and others from the country’s eastern Punjab as part of a campaign to force them to leave.
Previous killings like this have been blamed on the outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army and other groups demanding independence from the central government in Islamabad. However, Islamic militants are also known to have a presence in the area.
The attack came just hours after the outlawed Baluch Liberation Army warned people to stay away from highways as they launched attacks on security forces in various parts of the province.
