At least 11 Pakistani miners from the Hazaras minority group were kidnapped and killed and four others were injured early on Sunday, according to The New York Times reports.
The Times notes that Hazaras are often targeted by Sunni extremists, who have faced repeated attacks in the past. The attackers have not been identified and no group has claimed responsibility for the murders.
Officials said the incident took place in the small mining town of Machh in Balochistan province, the largest and least populated of Pakistan’s four provinces. The victims’ hands were tied behind their backs and were also shot at close range. Their throats were also cut, the Times reports.
Hazara activist Ali Raza received the bodies of the miners in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.
“Their clothes on the front were almost completely stained with blood,” Raza told the Times. “Bruises on bodies also suggest they were dragged.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attacks on Twitter, calling them “another cowardly, inhuman terrorist act”.
The convicted murder of 11 innocent miners in Machh Balochistan is yet another cowardly inhumane act of terrorism. Have asked the FC to use all means to arrest and bring these murderers to justice. The families of the victims will not be abandoned by the government
– Imran Khan (mImranKhanPTI) January 3, 2021
“The families of the victims will not be abandoned by the [government,]he added.
The attacks sparked protests on Sunday from members of the Hazara community, who blocked a highway in Quetta, the Times reports. The bodies of the miners were put on the road as protesters called on authorities to fulfill their pledge of safety for their communities.
Local Hazara leader Haji Jawad said of the killings: “This is an attempt to sabotage peace in the province and provoke sectarian strife.”