Gunmen Kill Nine Laborers in SW Pakistan
Nine laborers were killed on Thursday when gunmen riding on motorbikes sprayed bullets at road workers in Pakistan's troubled southwestern province of Baluchistan, officials said.
A group of four or five armed men came to the site of road building works in the town of Dasht, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of the provincial capital Quetta, and opened fire, senior administration official Irfan Shah told AFP.
"The gunmen fled on their motorbikes leaving nine people dead and four injured," he said, adding that one was in a critical condition.
Police officer Mohammad Ismail confirmed the toll.
Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The oil and gas rich province which borders Iran and Afghanistan is plagued by sectarian violence, attacks by Taliban militants and a tribal insurgency.
Baluch rebels rose up in 2004, demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region's mineral resources.
Bomb blasts and attacks on police and security forces are frequent in the province, which is one of the most deprived areas of Pakistan.
Baluchistan has also been a flashpoint for violence between majority Sunnis and Shiites, who make up around 20 percent of the population.
Source: Agence France Presse
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