Article

2015-04-12 India-Pakistan

Islamabad -- Unidentified assailants gunned down 20 labourers and injured three others in the early hours of Saturday in the Turbat area of Balochistan province. Initial reports revealed that suspected militants attacked the camp of the labourers who were working on Surab Dam in the area. They lined up the workers and sprayed them with bullets, killing 20 of the 23 of them and fled in the darkness.

The province faces a low-key insurgency with more than one Baloch outfits demanding independence. They have often targeted non-Baloch labourers working on projects in the province. Pakistan claims these groups are funded and trained by India inside Afghanistan.

“Armed gunmen stormed the camp in Gokh Don area near Turbat city at about 1.40am and indiscriminately fired at sleeping workers,” Makran Commissioner Pasand Khan Buledi said.

Of the 20 who died, 16 hailed from south Punjab’s Sadiqabad city while the other four were from Hyderabad, Sindh, an injured worker Azhar Ali said. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital and were reported to be out of danger as the police cordoned off the area in search of the attackers.

Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik later flew to Turbat to ascertain the situation. Talking to reporters, he said the ghastly incident appears to be a security lapse despite presence of security personnel. He announced one million rupees each for families of the victims.

Imran Qureshi, the District Police Officer (DPO) of Turbat, told DawnNews that militants opened fire indiscriminately at the labourers while they were sleeping.

The area of Gokh Don is located about 15km from Turbat Bazar. Panic prevailed in the locality in the aftermath of the killings. Turbat is considered to be one of the sensitive districts in Balochistan. It is also the home town of Chief Minister Abdul Malik.

Posted by Steve White 2015-04-12 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top

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