20 Killed, 8 Injured As Armed Men Fire At Pakistani Coal Miners

At least 20 miners died and eight others were injured on Friday morning when unidentified armed men attacked cal mines in Pakistan’s violence prone Balochistan province.

This armed attack on miners occurred in the Dukki area of Balochistan. This terror attack happened ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s summit to be held in Islamabad.

According to Pakistani media quoting the authorities, the attackers used hand grenades and rocket launchers in the attack. The attackers set fire to mining machinery before escaping from the spot. At least 20 miners were killed and eight others were wounded in the attack. Death toll may rise as some injured minors were in critical condition.

It is alleged that the armed men first gathered the miners in different groups and then fired at them, killing them on the spot.

Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan is experiencing violent insurgency since long. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) accuses China and Islamabad of exploitation of the resource-rich province an demands for a separate homeland.

Earlier this week, two Chinese nationals were killed and 17 people injured in a suicide attack by a Baloch insurgent group near Pakistan’s Karachi airport.