2 Hazara men gunned down in 'targeted attack' in Quetta: police

Published April 22, 2018
People comfort a man who lost his son in a deadly shooting incident in Quetta. —AP
People comfort a man who lost his son in a deadly shooting incident in Quetta. —AP
An elderly man mourns the death of his son in a deadly shooting incident in Quetta. —AFP
An elderly man mourns the death of his son in a deadly shooting incident in Quetta. —AFP

Two men belonging to the Hazara community were killed, while a third was injured in an incident of firing in Quetta's Western Bypass area on Sunday.

Police sources said unknown miscreants opened fire and killed two people identified as Muhammad Ali and Muhammad Zaman. One person was wounded as result of firing, the sources said. The injured was rushed to Bolan Medical Complex, Quetta, for treatment.

Police said the victims were members of the Hazara community and that the incident appeared to be a targeted attack.

The assailants escaped unhurt from the spot after the attack. Police and other law enforcement personnel reached the spot as an investigation into the incident was initiated.

Attacks against Hazaras in Quetta have seen a spike recently, with this attack being the second this week alone. A shopkeeper was gunned down in the provincial capital earlier this week while another Hazara man was killed in the beginning of April.

The Hazara community has been disproportionately targeted by sectarian violence as they are easily identifiable due to their distinctive physical appearance.

A report released by the National Commission for Human Rights last month stated that 509 members of Hazara community were killed and 627 injured in various incidents of terrorism in Quetta during the last five years.

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