Policemen among 8 shot dead as Balochistan remains in crosshairs of terrorism

• Slain workers hail from Sadiqabad area of Punjab.
• Incident took place in Malangzai area of Kalat’s Mangochar city.
• PM says those who target the poor are “enemies of humanity”.

At least eight people, four labourers and same number of police personnel, were gunned down in two separate incidents of terrorism in Balochistan on Saturday.

Militants shot dead four labourers in Balochistan's Kalat district, according to the assistant commissioner of Mangochar city.

Unidentified assailants opened fire in the Malangzai area of Kalat’s Mangochar city, killing four labourers.

The slain workers hailed from the Sadiqabad area of Punjab, the official said.

Upon being informed, Levies personnel reached the site and shifted the bodies to the Rural Health Centre Mande Haji for medico-legal formalities. According to media reports, the victims were borewell drillers.

Reacting to the attack, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in this tragic incident.

He emphasised for taking effective action against terrorist elements targeting unarmed workers. The president said targeting innocent workers and civilians is a most heinous and condemnable act.

The president expressed condolences to the families of those who died in the incident and offered prayers for the deceased and for the patience to the heirs.

In his statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed that his government would not rest until all forms of terrorism were eliminated from the country.

Expressing sorrow over the killings, the premier said: “In this hour of grief, we stand with the bereaved families.”

He extended condolences to the victims’ families and prayed for their eternal peace.

“Those who target the poor and working class are enemies of humanity,” remarked the PM.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident of terrorism, four police officers were shot dead when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their patrol vehicle in Noshki, officials confirmed on Saturday.

The bodies of the slain officers were shifted to a hospital.

Balochistan Chief Minister strongly condemned the attack, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.

He also denounced the recent killing of four labourers in Kalat’s Mangochar area, calling it a barbaric act.

Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the blood of innocent police officers and labourers would not go in vain, promising a strict crackdown against those responsible.

In recent days, Balochistan witnessed a sharp rise in terror attacks as at least five people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers, were martyred and 35 others wounded in an explosion on a paramilitary convoy on the Nushki-Dalbandin highway last Sunday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a vehicle-borne suicide bomber exploded himself on a security forces convoy in the Nushki District of Balochistan. As a result, five people, including three security forces personnel, embraced martyrdom.

On March 11 in Bolan district, Dozens of militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), blew up a railway track and assaulted Jaffar Express, carrying more than 440 passengers — who were taken hostage.

The security forces, after a complex clearance operation, neutralised 33 attackers and rescued the hostage passengers.

Apart from five operational casualties, as many as 26 passengers were martyred by the terrorists, of which 18 were security personnel belonging to the Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps (FC), three were officials from Pakistan Railways and other departments, and five were civilians.

Also, three FC personnel were martyred in the militants' attack targeting a picket before the train ambush.

It is pertinent to mention here that the country witnessed a sharp increase in terror 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 sustained injuries, including 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.

Balochistan also experienced a surge in militant activity, with at least 24 attacks, which claimed 26 lives, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and nine militants.