( QUETTA ) In Duki, Balochistan, thousands of protesters marched in response to the brutal killing of 20 coal miners by unidentified gunmen. Carrying the bodies of the victims, they demanded justice for the slain miners.
The demonstrators called on the government to take immediate action against the attackers. Tensions ran high in the town, with security forces increasing their presence to maintain order.
The attack took place late Thursday night, when gunmen stormed the Junaid coal mine in Duki District. Twenty miners were killed, and several others were injured. The assailants, armed with grenades and rocket launchers, wreaked havoc, destroying machinery and equipment in a violent assault.
Local police officer Humayoun Nasar stated that levies forces and the police responded swiftly to the scene, recovering the victims and leading the rescue efforts.
Deputy Commissioner Haji Khairullah and Assistant Commissioner coordinated medical relief, sending teams to the district headquarters hospital (DHQ). Seven miners with critical injuries were transferred to Loralai Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital, and seriously injured miners were sent to Quetta for treatment. “We have received four critically injured miners from the Duki attack,” Waseem Baig, spokesman for Quetta Civil Hospital, told *The Express Tribune*.
Among the victims were both Pakistani and Afghan workers. Authorities are conducting a joint operation to recover the bodies and secure the area. Nasar confirmed that three of the victims were Afghan nationals.
The rescue operation, led by the FC commandant and the Superintendent of Duki police, ensured all bodies were accounted for.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the attack, pledging swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice. “This was a terrorist attack, and those responsible will not be spared,” Bugti declared, promising justice for the victims and their families.
Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail and provincial ministers, including Mir Sadiq Umrani, also condemned the attack and called for the immediate arrest of those responsible.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has taken over the investigation, and an FIR has been filed. Security has been tightened at other mining sites in Balochistan, a region long affected by violence and poor safety conditions for workers.
This tragic incident highlights the ongoing dangers faced by coal miners in the region. “We demand justice for these poor miners,” said Haji Allah Noor Nasar in a phone interview with *The Express Tribune*, criticizing the provincial government for failing to protect its citizens.
Several political parties, including PKMAP, PPP, BNP (Mengal), NP, ANP, and JUI-F, condemned the attack and expressed sorrow over the tragedy.