Unidentified gunmen fatally shot six laborers in Turbat, Kech district, Balochistan, during the early hours of Saturday, according to the police.
District Police Officer (DPO) Imam Bux informed Dawn.com that the incident took place when a group of armed men entered a residence in Turbat’s Satellite Town area and opened fire on the laborers. Several individuals sustained injuries.
The victims were staying at the house of a local contractor for construction work when they were targeted in the attack, the officer added.
The injured laborers were identified as Rizwan, Shehbaz, Wasim, Shafiq Ahmed, Muhammad Naeem, Ghulam Mustafa, and Touheed.
“Upon receiving the alert, the police swiftly arrived at the scene.” DPO Bux mentioned that a case would be registered at a CTD police station, and an investigation was initiated to determine the motive behind the incident.
Interim Balochistan Chief Minister Ali Mardan Khan Domki expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and demanded an official report from the relevant authorities.
He strongly condemned the incident, highlighting the reprehensible nature of targeting innocent laborers. He urged investigators to thoroughly examine the incident from all angles and provide a comprehensive report, emphasizing the need to use all available resources to apprehend those responsible.
Separately, Balochistan Governor Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar mourned the lives lost in the attack and called upon law enforcement agencies to swiftly apprehend the individuals responsible for the incident.
This incident serves as a tragic reminder of a 2015 tragedy in Turbat when gunmen killed 20 construction workers and injured three others in a pre-dawn attack on a laborers’ camp near Turbat. Similarly, the victims in this case were targeted while they were asleep at their camp.