Protests in Duki after rocket assault on coal mines kills 20

People gathered outside a medical facility where bodies of the deceased miners were kept, seen in this still taken from a video. — Reporter
Folks gathered outdoors a medical facility the place our bodies of the deceased miners had been saved, seen on this nonetheless taken from a video. — Reporter
  • Police say assailants fired rockets and grenades at mine. 
  • Mine proprietor reveals attackers set mining equipment on hearth.
  • CM Bugti orders motion in opposition to “terrorists” concerned in assault.

Protests have erupted in Balochistan’s District Duki after not less than 20 miners had been killed and 7 left injured in a rocket assault on coal mines within the space, the most recent incident of violence within the southwestern province.

“A gaggle of armed males attacked the mines within the Duki space within the wee hours [of Friday] utilizing heavy weapons,” stated Humayun Khan, the police station home officer for the city, positioned east of town of Quetta.

They fired rockets and grenades on the mines as effectively, he added.

The mineral-rich area borders Afghanistan and Iran and has been troubled for many years as a consequence of frequent incidents of violence. 

No group has claimed accountability for the most recent assault. 

Following the lethal assault, residents staged an indication at Bacha Khan Chowk with the our bodies of the slain miners.

In the meantime, merchants introduced a shutter-down strike in the complete district in condemnation of the dastardly assault. All commerce centres and markets remained closed throughout Duki on Friday. 

The world surrounding the coal mines had been cordoned off by the police and FC personnel and a search operation was launched quickly after the assault. 

Our bodies of the slain miners and the injured had been rushed to close by medical facility, Instructing Hospital Loralai for medical care.

The police had initially reported the deaths of two miners however the demise toll soared to twenty within the following hours, Medical Officer Dr Johar Sadozai confirmed. 

As per the official, two of the deceased miners belonged to Pishin and two others had been residents of Qila Saifullah whereas considered one of them was from Kuchlak and three others got here for work from Afghanistan, in response to the medial officer.

The proprietor of the coal mines, Haji Khairullah Nasir, stated that the attackers not solely carried out an assault on the mining website but in addition set the equipment on hearth.

Taking discover of the matter, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the incident and ordered motion in opposition to the “terrorists” concerned within the assault. 

“Terrorists engaged on the agenda of destablising Pakistan. Labourers are tender targets in cowardly assaults by terrorists,” he stated, pledging to punish the weather concerned in such actions. 

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant assaults for the reason that Taliban authorities returned to energy in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, largely within the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but in addition in southwestern Balochistan, which abuts Afghanistan and Iran.

Towards this backdrop, the federal cupboard in June this yr permitted Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, a reinvigorated nationwide counter-terrorism marketing campaign following the Central Apex Committee’s suggestions beneath the Nationwide Motion Plan to root out terrorism.

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