Rocket attack kills 20 miners in Balochistan’s Duki
According to police reports, armed men on a private coal mine in Balochistan Duki area killed at least 20 miners on Friday.
This incident occurs amidst rising security concerns across the country, particularly in Balochistan, which experienced a series of terror attacks in August that resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people.
“A group of armed men attacked the Junaid Coal Company mines in Duki during the early hours, using heavy weapons,” stated Duki Station House Officer (SHO) Humayun Khan. The attackers fired rockets and grenades at the mines, he added.
Dr. Johar Khan Shadizai, a local physician, reported that 20 bodies and six injured individuals have been brought to the district hospital.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Duki District Council Chairman Khairullah Nasir confirmed the incident, noting that the assailants employed “hand grenades, rocket launchers, and other modern weapons.” He also mentioned that the attackers set fire to “10 coal engines and machinery.”
The district administration, police, and Frontier Corps (FC) teams responded promptly to the scene. Duki Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kaleemullah Kakar and the assistant commissioner (AC) visited the site, accompanied by the FC commandant and Duki superintendent of police, to conduct a joint operation aimed at locating the remaining bodies.
Speaking to reporters, DC Kakar indicated that the victims hailed from various regions of Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. Seven injured individuals were transferred to Loralai Tehsil Headquarters for medical treatment, and arrangements are in place for transporting the deceased to their native towns once all necessary procedures are completed.
“The district administration is in active coordination with the FC and police to handle and manage control over the situation,” DC Kakar emphasized, adding that a first information report will be filed and the incident investigated by the Counter-Terrorism Department.
Although the coal mines fall primarily under the jurisdiction of the FC, the area is also policed. Levies took the lead in responding and recovering the first body, noted the Duki DC.
Earlier, upon receiving an alert, DC Kakar contacted the mine owner. He and the AC visited the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital to ensure all necessary arrangements for the deceased and injured were in place. Medical officers, including the medical superintendent and district health officer, along with the entire paramedical staff, were mobilized at the DHQ, and ambulances were coordinated with the Loralai commissioner’s office.
This attack occurs in Balochistan as Pakistan prepares to host a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad on October 15-16, which is expected to attract high-level Chinese representation and the attendance of India’s foreign minister.
