Passengers abducted, shot dead in Balochistan

Terrorists have abducted and shot dead nine bus passengers in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. On Thursday night (July 11), several buses traveling from Balochistan to Punjab were stopped, and passengers were forcibly taken away, according to provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rindh.

Local authorities stated that the victims were all residents of Punjab, suggesting they were targeted and killed for that reason. Government official Naveed Alam confirmed that the bullet-riddled bodies were later recovered from a mountainous area.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident as a brutal act of terrorism and accused India-backed militants of being behind the attack. He vowed a strong response to the bloodshed of innocent people. India has yet to issue any response to the accusation.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. However, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA)—a separatist armed group active in the region—has been linked to similar attacks in the past. The mineral-rich province, located along the Afghanistan-Iran border, has long accused Pakistan's central government of discrimination. Residents allege that Balochistan’s resources are exploited to develop other regions, particularly Punjab, while their own communities remain neglected.