At least 20 people were killed by gunmen at a coal mine in Balochistan province, southwestern Pakistan, local police reported.
The attackers stormed the workers’ accommodation at the Junaid Coal Company mines in Duki district early Friday morning, rounding up the workers before opening fire.
According to Reuters, a hospital in Duki received 20 bodies, with six injured people currently being treated.
Police revealed that the attackers used heavy weapons, including rockets and grenades, and also set fire to mining machinery.
Authorities confirmed that four of the victims were Afghans, while the rest were from Pashto-speaking areas of Balochistan.
Businesses in Duki closed ahead of a planned protest in the town’s main square on Friday.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has been responsible for previous attacks in the region.
Earlier in the week, a BLA militant killed two Chinese nationals and injured at least 10 others in a suicide bombing near Karachi airport.
The group, which advocates for an independent Balochistan, carried out multiple attacks in August, killing over 50 people. Pakistani authorities responded by killing 21 insurgents.
Balochistan’s chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, condemned the attack, stating that the perpetrators aimed to destabilize Pakistan.
“The terrorists have once again targeted poor labourers… the killing of these innocent laborers will be avenged,” he said in a statement.
Balochistan is a stronghold for several separatist groups that accuse the central government of exploiting the province’s abundant natural resources.
These militant groups frequently attack security forces and workers involved in the region’s numerous mining and infrastructure projects.
The latest surge in violence occurs just ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, a major security event set to take place in Islamabad next week.
In response, Pakistani authorities are not only ramping up security but are also expected to restrict the movements of Chinese nationals during the summit due to the heightened risk posed by militant groups targeting them.