Gunmen abduct, kill nine passengers in Balochistan Pakistan

Nine passengers traveling on two buses en route from Balochistan to Punjab in southwestern Pakistan were abducted and later killed by armed gunmen near the Sur-Dakai area on the border between Zhob and Loralai districts. The attackers specifically targeted passengers from Punjab by checking their identity cards before forcibly removing them from the buses and shooting them. The bodies were found in mountainous terrain, and the assailants fled the scene after the killings. Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the attack and blamed India-sponsored terrorists, while the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Fitna-ul-Hindustan-affiliated terrorists were implicated by authorities. Security forces launched extensive operations to find the perpetrators and secure civilian safety amid ongoing unrest in the mineral-rich, resource-disputed Balochistan province. The incident highlights continuing ethnic and political tensions in the region, with militant groups accusing Pakistani authorities of exploiting local resources for Punjab's benefit.