Gunmen have killed at least 22 people in southwestern Pakistan after forcing them out of their vehicles and checking their identities, officials say.
The attack happened last night on a highway in Balochistan province, where security forces are battling sectarian, ethnic and separatist violence.
Officials alleged that the armed men checked identification documents, targeting those from Punjab for shooting before setting fire to vehicles.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Musa Khel district.
Over the past 24 hours, the BLA has launched a series of attacks on several government facilities – including police stations and security barracks – across the province.
In Kalat, 11 people were killed – five of them security personnel – and six bodies were found in another district in Balochistan.
According to Najibullah Kakar, a senior local official, there were about 30 to 40 militants involved in Musa Khel.
“They stopped 22 vehicles,” he told AFP. “Vehicles going to and from Punjab were checked, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot.”
According to Reuters news agency, BLA said they targeted soldiers in civilian clothes while traveling.
Before the attack, the BLA warned Baloch people to stay away from the highway, adding that their “fight is against the occupying Pakistani army”.
“We have taken complete control of all major highways across Balochistan, blocking them completely,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep grief and condemnation of the terrorist attack” in a statement released by his office.
Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan but despite having more resources than other provinces, it is the least developed province.
The BLA and other Baloch separatists have stepped up attacks on Punjabis and Sinhalese from elsewhere in Pakistan working in the region. They have also targeted foreign energy companies they accuse of exploiting the region without sharing the profits.
In a similar incident in April this year, nine passengers were dragged off a bus in Balochistan and shot dead after their identity documents were checked.
Several Western countries, including Britain and the United States, have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organization.
