23 passengers killed after being forcibly offloaded from their vehicles by armed assailants in Balochistan’s Musakhel district
MUSAKHE, August 26 (SABAH): In a horrifying incident in Balochistan’s Musakhel district, 23 passengers were killed after being forcibly offloaded from their vehicles by armed assailants.
According to Musakhel SP Ayub Achakzai, the attack occurred at a checkpoint set up by the armed men on the inter-provincial highway near Rarah Sham area of Khangri, about two kilometres from Dera Ghazi Road.
The assailants forced passengers off trucks and buses and shot them after identifying them. The attackers also set fire to 10 vehicles before fleeing the scene.
Police and levies forces arrived promptly and transported the bodies to a hospital. Most of the deceased were reported to be from Punjab.
Speaking during a private TV channel, Balochistan government’s spokesperson Shahid Rind said that the militants had attacked on two to three fonts where they faced retaliation and resistance from the security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
However, he added, that the terrorists exploited the dark to carry out the Musakhel attack where they offloaded the passengers from the buses and shot them after identification.
Underscoring the provincial government’s resolve to address the law and order issue, Rind said that Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Khan Bugti had summoned a meeting wherein “important decisions” would be made.
“To find a way out of this situation, a wholesome approach is required by any political government or security forces and support is needed from all schools of thought,” he said.
Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari hit out at the terrorists who snuffed lights out of lives of innocent people. They expressed grief over the loss of lives and said it was the murder of humanity. They offered condolences to the bereaved families and resolved to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to ensure best possible treatment of the injured.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the terrorist attack in the strongest terms and expressed deep sympathy and condolences to the victims’ families.
Naqvi stated that the terrorists demonstrated extreme cruelty by targeting the innocent people near Musakhel.
He pledged that the terrorists and their accomplices would face severe consequences.
The minister also acknowledged the immense sacrifices made by security forces and all segments of society in the ongoing fight against terrorism.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti strongly condemned the incident of terrorism. He expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of those who died in the cowardly act of terrorists, according to a statement issued from his office.
The terrorists and their facilitators will not be able to escape an exemplary end, he said, adding that the Balochistan government will pursue the terrorists.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar Advocate strongly condemned the brutality of the terrorists. “The terrorists showed brutality by targeting innocent passengers near Musakhail,” he was quoted as saying in a statement on X posted by PML-N. “The terrorists and their facilitators will not be able to escape an exemplary end,” he said.
Attaullah Tarar said the terrorists showed brutality by targeting innocent passengers. He said the terrorists and facilitators involved in this incident will be brought to justice. He expressed heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori termed the incident worrying, saying: “No matter how much this incident is condemned, it is not enough.
“Killing passengers by offloading them from the bus is the worst kind of brutality,” he said in a statement on X.
“The elements involved in this abominable act will reach their end,” he said. “With the support of the people, the security forces will eliminate these elements soon.”
Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz have also condemned the terrorist attack and expressed deep sorrow on the tragic incident.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur have strongly condemned the terrorist incident in Musakhel district of Balochistan. In separate statements in Peshawar on Monday, they both expressed grief over the killing of twenty-three passengers after their identification in the incident.