Bodies of seven Punjabi passengers, killed in Musakhel terror attack, reach their hometowns

There was profound grief and shock as the bodies of seven of total 23 passengers from Punjab, who had been gunned down in Musakhel, Balochistan by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists in the early hours of Monday, reached their hometowns, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

Two of those who were killed in the incident were from Burewala, two from Toba Tek Singh, one from Faisalabad and two were from Khanewal.    

However, one of the youths from Burewala managed to save his life by escaping from the spot.

Terrorists killed at least 40 people in "coordinated" attacks across Balochistan on Monday that largely targeted ethnic Punjabis and security forces, government officials said, adding 12 terrorists were also killed in retaliatory attacks by security forces.

In one of the attacks, dozens of militants stopped vehicles travelling on the national highway in Musakhel and shot 23 people dead -- one of the worst shootings in the region in the past several years.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most active militant group, claimed responsibility for an overnight operation in a statement sent to AFP.

In Musakhel district, between 30 and 40 gunmen stopped 24 buses, vans and trucks one after the other on the highway connecting Punjab to Balochistan, a senior official, Najibullah Kakar, told AFP.

"Vehicles travelling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot dead," he said.

According to police, the passengers were offloaded from their buses and trucks and were then shot dead in execution style in Rarasham area of Musakhail after checking their ID cards. The gunmen also took awat with them 13 of the passengers.

A local police officer told the media men that the gunmen blocked the highway and stopped the buses and trucks. All the dead passengers belonged to different areas of Punjab, SSP Ayub Achakzai said.

The police officer further informed that the attackers also set on fire 24 vehicles which included two cars, six trucks, 10 Mazdas, four pick-ups and two vans.

Personnel of FC, police and Levies shifted the bodies to a local hospital.

Police official further said that they have launched a probe into the gruesome incident.

In its statement, the BLA said it had launched an operation "on highways across Balochistan", claiming to have targeted only security personnel.

An earlier statement from the group published just after midnight on Monday warned the Baloch public to stay away from the highways.

Federal Minister for Interior Affairs Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi Monday said that anyone supporting the attacks in Balochistan is considered a terrorist, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

"Anyone who backs the Balochistan attack is a terrorist," Naqvi declared, indicating a zero-tolerance policy towards such terrorism.

During a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, he said that the entire leadership decided to give a strong response to the terrorists.

Naqvi also informed the media that discussions are ongoing with the political leadership in Balochistan to secure their cooperation in dealing with the terrorists.

He paid glowing tribute to the 14 soldiers who were martyred in recent operations while 21 terrorists were eliminated in the same actions.

Naqvi also made it clear that terrorists would no longer be referred to as "angry Balochs," pointing to a zero-tolerance policy to deal with the miscreants.

He asserted that the terrorists' broader ambitions were successfully thwarted by the security forces, and the government is fully prepared to respond to any further attacks in Balochistan.

“Foreign forces are involved in a bid to destabilize the region.”

The minister provided details of a recent incident where the Assistant Commissioner of Kalat was targeted but remained unharmed.

He identified the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as being involved in the recent wave of terrorism, noting that some of those responsible had previously been released.

Naqvi said that joint efforts of both provinces (Punjab and Sindh) are underway to clear the Kacha area from Bandits.

The minister said he was in close contact with Chief Minister Balochistan, and they are formulating a comprehensive plan to address the current wave of terrorism.

He emphasized that the attackers are terrorists and assured that strong action will be taken against them.