Tragic Rocket Attack Sparks Protests in Balochistan

Pakistani citizens protest after a vicious rocket attack on Duki coal mines in Balochistan killed 20 and injured seven. No group has claimed responsibility. The region faces ongoing unrest, with citizens and traders responding through demonstrations and shutdowns, highlighting the escalating violence in mineral-rich Balochistan.

On Friday, Balochistan witnessed renewed turmoil as citizens and traders staged protests after a deadly rocket attack on coal mines in Duki claimed the lives of 20 miners and injured seven others. The brutal assault marked the latest chapter of violence in the mineral-rich southwestern province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.

According to Humayun Khan, the police station house officer of the town east of Quetta, assailants launched a pre-dawn attack using heavy weaponry, including rockets and grenades, to target the mines in Duki. No organization has yet taken responsibility for the assault.

In the aftermath of the attack, citizens rallied at Bacha Khan Chowk alongside the bodies of the deceased miners. Concurrently, traders initiated a district-wide shutdown on Friday to decry the horrific violence, leading to the closure of trade centers and markets across Duki. The bodies of the victims were swiftly moved to the Teaching Hospital Loralai for treatment.

As reported by The News International, initial police reports indicated two minor fatalities; however, medical authorities later confirmed the death toll had increased to 20, with Dr. Johar Sadozai providing further insight. Victims hail from various regions, including Pishin, Qila Saifullah, Kuchlak, and Afghanistan.

Coal mine owner Haji Khairullah Nasir revealed that the attackers targeted mining sites and set machinery ablaze. Increased militant activity in the region has been observed since the Taliban's reassumption of control in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly affecting the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

(With inputs from agencies.)