QUETTA: At least 21 coal miners, including three Afghan nationals, were killed and six others injured in a deadly terrorist attack at a mines area of a private company, some 10km from Duki district headquarters, in the wee hours of Friday.

Officials said that militants fired rockets, hurled hand grenades and opened indiscriminate fire, killing the labourers and destroying at least 10 mines, mining equipment and machinery.

“They were around 35 to 40 in number. They first fired rockets and threw hand grenades at the mud houses of the coal miners and later opened heavy fire,” SSP Asim Shafi said, adding that the overnight attack continued for an hour.

Officials said that private security guards put up resistance for a brief time, but terrorists equi­pped with modern weaponry overwhelmed them.

The militants fired rockets and lobbed hand grenades to destroy mines and machinery. They killed some miners inside their rooms, while others were lined up outside their quarters before being shot dead, officials said.

“At least 10 mines were completely destroyed as they caught fire,” Duki SHO Humayun Khan Nasar said, adding that mining equipment and machinery was also burnt down.

Use of drones

Hafeezullah, a sub-contractor who hid himself along with some other survivors during the attack, claimed the terrorists used “drones to find the miners”. According to the eye-witness, the attackers said the miners had not heeded their warnings to stop work at the mine.

Security forces rushed to the spot after receiving information about the attack. Duki deputy commissioner Kaleemullah Khan, officials of the local administration along with police later also visited the site of Junaid Coal Co.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Police and Levies personnel shifted the bodies and injured to the district hospital.

Victims identified

The Duki SHO said the victims included three Afghan nationals, later identified as Abdul Wali, Ghulam Ali, and Hayatullah, while the other miners belonged to Zhob, Loralai, Kuch­lak, Qila Saifullah and Pishin. Their bodies were sent to their native towns.

“Initially, we have received 12 bodies and 16 injured coal miners in the hospital,” Dr Johar Khan Sadozai told Dawn, adding that nine miners died during treatment at the hospital as they had received multiple bullet injuries. They were hit in their heads and upper parts of their bodies.

Dr Sadozai said that four injured were referred to the civil hospital in Quetta. The victims were identified as Abdul Malik, Muladad, Saeedullah, Jalal Khan, Fazal and Rozi Khan hailing from Zhob; Naseebullah, Samiullah, Abdullah and Naseebullah Jan belonging to Qila Saifullah; Maling, Hamdullah and Abdullah from Pishin district; Bismillah from Kuchlak; Jalat Khan from Loralai district, Samad Khan from Musakhail and Wali Muhammad from Harnai district, besides the three Afghan nationals.

Threats, response

Mine owner Haji Khairullah Nasar later visited the area. He said, “I and many other coal mining owners were receiving threats from the militants for some time, but there was no information about such a big attack.”

He claimed that soon after receiving word of the attack, he informed the police and other security forces, but by the time they reached the site, the militants had fled.

Haji Khairullah Nasar, who is also chairman of the Duki district council, said 10 mines and allied machinery were completely burnt in the attack.

Later, hundreds of labourers took the bodies of some miners to Bacha Khan Chowk in Duki where they staged protest over the killings. They strongly condemned the attack and criticised the government and local administration for not providing complete security to those working in the mining areas.

Later, Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail and Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack and directed the law enforcement agencies to take immediate and effective action against the terrorists.

CM Bugti directed the officials concerned to surround the area and arrest the culprits.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2024