At least 11 Pakistani miners from the minority group Hazaras were kidnapped and killed and four more were injured Sunday morning, The New York Times reports.
The Times notes that Hazara are often targets of Sunni extremists, having faced repeated attacks in the past. The attackers were not identified and no group took responsibility for the murders.
Officials said the incident occurred in the small mining town of Machh, in the province of Balochistan, the largest and least populous of Pakistan’s four provinces. Victims’ hands were tied behind their backs and also fired at point-blank range. Their throats have also been cut, reports the Times.
Activist Hazara Ali Raza received the bodies of the miners in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan Province.
“The front clothes were almost completely stained with blood,” Raza told the Times. “Bruises on bodies also suggest that they were dragged.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attacks on Twitter, calling them “yet another cowardly and inhuman terrorist act”.
The damning death of 11 innocent coal miners in Machh Balochistan is yet another cowardly and inhumane act of terrorism. They asked the FC to use all resources to arrest these killers and bring them to justice. The victims’ families will not be left abandoned by the government
– Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 3, 2021
“The victims’ families will not be abandoned by the [government,]”he added.
The attacks sparked protests by members of the Hazara community on Sunday, blocking a highway in Quetta, reports the Times. The miners’ bodies were placed on the road while protesters asked the authorities to keep their promise of safety to their community.
Local leader Hazara Haji Jawad said of the killings: “This is an attempt to sabotage peace in the province and provoke sectarian strife.”