At least 20 miners were killed and seven injured in an attack by armed men on a small private coal mine in Balochistan’s Duki area on Friday. The incident comes amid heightened security concerns across the country, especially in Balochistan. It reported in media that a group of armed men attacked the Junaid Coal company mines in the Duki area in the wee hours using heavy weapons. They fired rockets and grenades at the mines as well, SHO Khan added. Johar Khan Shadizai, a doctor in Duki, said: “We have received 20 bodies and six injured so far at the district hospital.” Duki District Council Chairman Khairullah Nasir also confirmed the incident, stating that the miscreants used “hand grenades, rocket launchers and other modern weapons” in the attack. He added that the attackers also set fire to “10 coal engines and machinery”. The district administration, police and Frontier Corps (FC) teams had reached the site of the incident, Nasir confirmed.

Duki Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kaleemullah Kakar and the assistant commissioner (AC) visited the incident site, where the FC commandant and Duki superintendent of police were present. A joint operation was conducted to find the remaining bodies. Speaking to reporters, DC Kakar said the victims belonged to various regions of Pakistan, as well as Afghanistan. Seven injured individuals have been transferred to Loralai Tehsil Headquarters for medical treatment, he said, adding that the deceased will be transported to their native towns once all necessary procedures were completed. “The district administration is actively coordinating with the FC and police to manage and control the situation,” DC Kakar asserted. He said a first information report will be lodged and the incident will be investigated by the Counter-Terrorism Department. Despite the coal mines falling under the primary responsibility of the FC and the area being under police jurisdiction, Levies took the lead in responding, the Duki DC noted, and recovered the first body.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan