Suspected Militants Kill Seven Punjabi Laborers in Balochistan

In a tragic turn of events, seven ethnic Punjabi laborers were fatally attacked by suspected militants in Balochistan, Pakistan. They were working on a house construction project and were ambushed while they slept. Authorities are investigating, and national leaders have condemned the attack, blaming it on regional militant insurgencies.

Tragedy struck in Pakistan's volatile Balochistan province on Sunday as suspected militants killed seven ethnic Punjabi laborers. The targeted attack occurred in the Khuda-i-Abadan area of Panjgur town, where the laborers were constructing a house.

Police reported that the victims, from Punjab province's Multan district, were attacked while they slept after a day's labor. The assailants, armed with automatic weapons, stormed in and opened fire indiscriminately, resulting in seven fatalities and one injury. Inspector General Police Moazzam Jah Ansari confirmed the incident to Dawn.

The victims were identified as Sajid, Shafiq, Fayyaz, Iftikhar, Salman, Khalid, and Allah Wasia. Although no group has claimed responsibility, Panjgur SSP Fazil Shah Bokhari deemed it a terrorist attack and launched an investigation. National leaders, including President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the attack, with the PM calling for a report and pledging action against terrorism.

(With inputs from agencies.)