Balochistan militants deny responsibility in attack on mine workers

The insurgent Baloch Liberation Army, a militant separatist group in Pakistan, condemned the violence that killed 21 mine workers

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Members of the Pakistan Mine Workers Federation shout slogans during a protest against the killings of coal miners in Balochistan’s Duki district, in Quetta on Friday. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:23pm, 13 Oct 2024Updated: 7:00pm, 13 Oct 2024

The Baloch Liberation Army, a militant separatist group in Pakistan, denied involvement in an attack that killed at least 21 mine workers, condemning the violence.

Dozens of attackers stormed a cluster of small private coal mines in Pakistan’s restive southwest on Friday with guns, rockets and hand grenades, killing some miners in their sleep and shooting others after lining them up.

“Baloch Liberation Army condemns the massacre of 21 Pashtun workers in Dukki, making it clear that our organisation has no involvement in this tragic incident,” the BLA said in an email late on Saturday.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the mines of the Junaid Coal Co in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan that borders Afghanistan and Iran.

It was the worst such attack in weeks and comes days before Pakistan hosts a summit of the Eurasian group Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

An injured man receives treatment at a hospital in Quetta, following a coal mine attack in the Duki area, Balochistan province, Pakistan, on Friday. Violence in Balochistan has escalated in recent years, with frequent clashes between Pakistani security forces and separatist groups seeking greater autonomy for the province. Photo: EPA-EFE

A decades-long insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, army, and Chinese interests in the region, pressing demands for a share in mineral-rich resources.