Five killed as gunmen open fire at vehicle in Quetta

QUETTA: Five people were killed and one injured as unidentified gunmen targetted a vehicle carrying members of the Hazara community on the city’s Kasi Road early Monday, police said.

According to police officials, the deceased include the vehicle's driver and a passerby as well — both not Hazara.

The victims were on their way to Sabzi Mandi from Mariabad when their vehicle was targeted by the assailants, who were riding a motorcycle.

The gunmen escaped unhurt after carrying out the attack, which appears to be an act of targeted killing, police officials added.

The bodies and injured were shifted to a nearby hospital. 

Later, four of the bodies were handed over to their families in Quetta, hospital officials said, adding that one of the deceased is still in the morgue as he hails from Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

The Hazara community members were identified as Mohammad Ali, Khadim Hussain and Syed Sarwar while the passerby was identified as Saleh Mohammad. 

Police and other law enforcement agencies personnel reached the site after the incident and started an investigation.

Members of the persecuted Shia Hazara community are often targetted in Quetta.