Nine people travelling from Balochistan to Punjab were kidnapped and murdered on Thursday night after armed assailants stopped two coaches in the Sarha Dakai region, located along the national highway between Loralai and Musakhel in Balochistan. The attackers reportedly checked the passengers' identification cards and forcibly took them away at gunpoint.

 

 

According to Loralai Division Commissioner Saadat Hussain, the armed men approached the buses and forcibly abducted ten passengers after verifying their identities. One survivor told the Levies Force that gunfire was heard following the abductions. The law enforcement agency later discovered nine bodies in a nearby mountainous region during their search operation.

 

 

The Balochistan government stated that the assault was carried out by terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna-e-Hindustan. Provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind indicated that the same group had been involved in coordinated attacks in Mastung, Kakat, and Sarha Dakai.

 

 

The deceased belonged to cities in Punjab: Irfan from Dera Ghazi Khan, Sabir Hussain from Kamoke, Asif Sultan from Chok Qureshi, Ghulam Saeed from Khanewal, Junaid from Lahore, Bilal from Attock, Bilawal from Gujrat, and another man from Dunyapur, Lodhran, who was traveling to attend his father's funeral.

 

 

Their bodies were transferred to Rakhni and subsequently delivered to Punjab officials at the Bawata border. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Usman and Commandant Asad Chandia were present to receive them. Following directives from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the bodies were sent to their hometowns, with district officials designated to facilitate the transfers.

 

 

The Balochistan Liberation Front, a prohibited separatist organisation, subsequently took responsibility for the murders. A spokesperson for the group stated that the roadway connecting Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri had been obstructed for the operation.