Passengers say gunmen boarded bus and checked identity cards.
“Terrorists took away seven travellers away to nearby mountain”.
Bus travelling from Quetta to Faisalabad with 45 passengers.
QUETTA: Unidentified armed assailants opened fire and killed at least seven passengers in Balochistan’s Barkhan district late on Tuesday night, Barkhan Assistant Commissioner (AC) confirmed on Wednesday morning.
The attack took place on the National Highway in the Rarkan area, where unidentified armed men stopped a passenger bus and opened fire into the air, AC Khadim Hussain revealed.
The gunmen then boarded the bus, checked the passengers’ identity cards, and forcibly took seven individuals to a nearby mountain. Shortly after, gunshots were heard.
When local law enforcement agencies, including the Levies force, arrived at the scene, they discovered the bodies of the abducted passengers.
The bodies have been transported to a nearby hospital in Rakni, according to the Levies force. The deceased were residents of various cities in Punjab.
According to the bus service office, the ill-fated bus was travelling from Quetta to Faisalabad and had at least 45 passengers on board.
One passenger, Zeeshan Mustafa, a resident of Burewala travelling to Multan, reported that the assailants took his brother away after checking his identity card.
The gunmen numbered between ten and twelve, Zeeshan said, adding that all were armed with Kalashnikovs.
Authorities have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to apprehend the perpetrators. Following the incident, two-way vehicular traffic on the National Highway, which connects Punjab to Balochistan, has been suspended.
Perpetrators will be brought to justice: Balochistan CM
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti strongly condemned the brutal killing of seven passengers in Barkhan, describing it as a “heinous and reprehensible act.”
“Terrorists are targeting innocent and unarmed civilians,” CM Bugti said in response to the attack.
“This cowardly assault by the enemies of peace is intolerable, and they will face a strong response.”
He further emphasised that those responsible for the killings would be brought to justice.
Following the attack, security forces, including the FC and Levies, swiftly arrived at the scene and initiated a search operation to track down the perpetrators.
A spokesperson for the Balochistan government stated that security forces are actively pursuing the terrorists.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, and police have launched an investigation into the incident.
The Barkhan tragedy comes nearly a week after a terrorist attack in Harnai, where 11 labourers were killed in a blast, according to Harnai Deputy Commissioner Hazrat Wali Kakar.
The country witnessed a sharp increase in terrorist attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
The data revealed that at least 74 militant attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. Another 117 individuals were injured, including 53 security personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.
KP remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan. In KP’s settled districts, militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 deaths, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.
The tribal districts of KP (formerly FATA) witnessed 19 attacks, leading to 46 fatalities, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants.