At least 20 miners were killed and seven injured in an attack by armed men on a private coal mine in Balochistan’s Duki area on Friday, police said.

The incident comes amid heightened security concerns across the country, especially in Balochistan where a spate of terror attacks in August claimed at least 50 lives.

“A group of armed men attacked the Junaid Coal company mines in the Duki area in the wee hours using heavy weapons,” said Duki Station House Officer (SHO) Humayun Khan.

They fired rockets and grenades at the mines as well, SHO Khan added.

Johar Khan Shadizai, a doctor in Duki, said: “We have received 20 bodies and six injured so far at the district hospital.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Duki District Council Chairman Khairullah Nasir also confirmed the incident, stating that the miscreants used “hand grenades, rocket launchers and other modern weapons” in the attack.

He added that the attackers also set fire to “10 coal engines and machinery”.

Nasir confirmed that the district administration, police, and Frontier Corps (FC) teams had reached the incident site.

Duki Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kaleemullah Kakar and the assistant commissioner (AC) visited the incident site, where the FC commandant and Duki superintendent of police were present. A joint operation was conducted to find the remaining bodies.

Speaking to reporters, DC Kakar said the victims belonged to various regions of Pakistan, as well as Afghanistan.

Seven injured individuals have been transferred to Loralai Tehsil Headquarters for medical treatment, he said, adding that the deceased will be transported to their native towns once all necessary procedures are completed.

“The district administration is actively coordinating with the FC and police to manage and control the situation,” DC Kakar asserted. He said a first information report will be lodged and the incident will be investigated by the Counter-Terrorism Department.

Despite the coal mines falling under the primary responsibility of the FC and the area being under police jurisdiction, Levies took the lead in responding and recovering the first body, the Duki DC noted.

Earlier, upon receiving an alert, DC Kakar contacted the mine owner. The Duki DC and AC visited the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital to ensure all necessary arrangements were made for the deceased and injured.

Medical officers, including the medical superintendent and district health officer, along with the entire paramedical staff, were mobilised at the DHQ. Ambulances were arranged in coordination with the Loralai commissioner’s office.

The attack comes as the country is preparing to host a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad from October 15-16. The event is expected to see high-level Chinese representation and will also be attended by India’s foreign minister.

‘Labourers targeted once again’: Condemnations pour in

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack and sought a report on it from the relevant authorities, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) stated.

Expressing deep grief over the loss of lives, he conveyed his sympathies to the slain miners’ families and reiterated the government’s resolve to purge the country of terrorism.

The premier prayed for the departed souls and the early recovery of the injured, instructing the relevant authorities to ensure the wounded’s best medical treatment, APP added.

Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, the acting president as President Zardari is on a visit to Turkmenistan, also expressed his regret over the killings, APP reported.

He said that those who attacked the workers had sunk to unprecedented levels of brutality and must be given strict punishment.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, in a statement, expressed his anger over the incident and ordered “immediate and effective action against the terrorists”.

He directed that the area be cordoned off to restrict and trace the miscreants.

“The terrorists have crossed the limits of brutality and oppression by once again targeting poor labourers,” CM Bugti said, adding that the perpetrators’ “agenda was to destabilise Pakistan”.

“Ordinary poor labourers are targeted as they are considered a ‘soft target’. The terrorists are cowards,” he noted, vowing to hold them accountable for the “killing of each innocent person”.

“We will wipe out the terrorists and clear this homeland of their existence. The victory will be of the righteous in the war against terrorism,” the chief minister asserted.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the armed attack and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families, a statement reported by PTV News said.

Naqvi said he shared the grief of the affected families and prayed for the injured’s speedy recovery.

Rise in terrorism

Pakistan has lately witnessed a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and KP.

While terror attacks declined by 24 per cent in September compared to August, they witnessed surges in August and July, according to monthly security reports.

In 2023, Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations. Overall fatalities, including those of outlaws, mark a record six-year high.

Attacks escalated after the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and vowed to target security forces.

A day ago, a bomb blast in Khuzdar killed a Levies official and PPP leader Khan Muhammad Lotani’s son, while the politician was left injured as their pickup truck was targeted.

Last month, terrorists armed with automatic weapons stormed an under-construction house in Panj­gur, killing seven labourers hailing from Multan. A day later, armed men attacked the camp of a private construction company in the Musakhel district, torching the machinery and vehicles there. No casualties were reported.

In May, a driver died while another three were missing when a convoy of six coal-laden trucks en route to Punjab from Duki coal fields came under a gun attack in Ziarat.

In January 2021, 11 coal miners belonging to the Shia Hazara community sleeping in their room were held at gunpoint, blindfolded and trussed up before being executed by unidentified attackers in the Mach coal field area. The militant Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the killing.

Additional input from Reuters, AFP