Gunmen have killed at least 22 people in southwestern Pakistan after forcing them out of their vehicles and checking their identities, according to officials.
The attack occurred overnight on a highway in Balochistan province, an area plagued by sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence.
The assailants reportedly checked the victims’ identity documents, specifically targeting individuals from Punjab, whom they then shot before setting the vehicles on fire, officials reported.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant group, has claimed responsibility for the attacks in the Musa Khel district.
Najibullah Kakar, a senior local official, stated that around 30 to 40 militants were involved in the incident.
“They stopped 22 vehicles,” he told AFP news agency. “Vehicles traveling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot.”
The BLA has said it was targeting military personnel travelling in civilian clothes, according to news agency Reuters.
Before the attack, the BLA warned the Baloch public to stay away from the highway, adding that their “fight is against the occupying Pakistani military”.
“We have taken full control of all major highways across Balochistan, blocking them completely,” it added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep grief and condemnation over the terrorist attack” in a statement released by his office.
Balochistan, despite being Pakistan’s largest province and rich in resources, remains the least developed.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and other Baloch separatist groups have escalated their attacks on Punjabis and Sindhis from other regions of Pakistan working in Balochistan. They have also targeted foreign energy companies, accusing them of exploiting the province’s resources without sharing the profits.
In a similar attack in April of this year, nine passengers were forcibly taken off a bus in Balochistan and shot dead after their identities were verified.
Over the past 24 hours, the BLA has launched multiple attacks on government installations across the province, including police stations and security forces’ camps.
Several Western nations, including the UK and US, have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organization.