Massacre at Balochistan Coal Mine: 20 Workers Killed in Militant Attack

Duki, Balochistan – In a shocking incident of violence, gunmen attacked a coal mine in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province in the early hours of Friday, killing at least 20 workers and injuring six others. Attackers stormed workers’ accommodation at  Junaid Coal Company mines in Duki district, launching a brutal assault with heavy weaponry, including rocket launchers and grenades. 

According to local police,  militants opened fire after rounding up miners. Subcontractor Hafeezullah, one of the survivors, described a harrowing scene, stating that a drone was seen overhead as the attack unfolded. “When attackers got closer, y shouted, ‘We told you to stop work here, why didn’t you?’” Hafeezullah recounted. Assailants, who were speaking in Pashto, n unleashed a barrage of gunfire. The attack began shortly after midnight and lasted for over 90 minutes. 

Local authorities confirmed that four of the victims were Afghan nationals, while the rest hailed from Pashto-speaking areas of Balochistan. Attackers set machinery ablaze during the assault, and loud explosions—likely from grenades—were heard throughout the ordeal. 

Balochistan police chief Asim Shafi told AFP that both hand grenades and rocket launchers were used in the attack, which involved as many as 40 attackers who vanished into the night after the massacre. Bodies of victims were transported to a hospital in Duki, where six injured miners are also receiving treatment. 

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the killings, though suspicion has fallen on the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has previously carried out numerous deadly attacks in the province. Balochistan, a region rich in natural resources, has long been the site of separatist insurgencies, with militants often targeting workers and infrastructure projects.  BLA, which advocates for an independent Balochistan, has frequently targeted security forces, foreign nationals, and laborers from or provinces. 

Mine’s owner, Khairullah Nasar, told Reuters that y had been receiving threats from militants for some time but had no prior warning of this attack. 

Friday’s assault is the latest in a string of violent incidents in Pakistan, following a BLA-claimed suicide bombing earlier this week near Karachi airport that killed two Chinese nationals and injured at least 10 ors. In August,  BLA conducted multiple attacks, resulting in over 50 deaths. Pakistani security forces responded by launching operations that killed 21 insurgents in Balochistan. 

Balochistan’s chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, condemned the massacre, stating that the militants’ goal was to destabilize the province and country. “Terrorists have once again targeted poor laborers…  killing of se innocent laborers will be avenged,” Bugti declared in a public statement. 

This attack comes just days ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which Pakistan is set to host in its capital, Islamabad. Security concerns have been heightened, particularly regarding the safety of foreign nationals working on various projects in Pakistan, including Chinese citizens who have frequently been targeted by separatist militants. In response, the Pakistani government is expected to increase security measures ahead of the summit, while restricting the movement of Chinese nationals during the event. 

As Pakistan grapples with escalating violence in Balochistan, the country faces mounting pressure to address the security situation in a resource-rich yet restive province, where separatist movements have long challenged the government’s authority. The attack on coal miners is a stark reminder of the persistent instability that plagues the region, posing serious challenges to national security as well as economic development.