Ethnic Violence Erupts in Balochistan as Gunmen Kill 9 Punjabis in Targeted Bus Attack

In a brutal display of ethnic violence, armed militants ambushed two passenger buses in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Friday, kidnapping and executing nine travelers from Punjab. The attackers selectively pulled out passengers with Punjab identification before murdering them execution-style in the mountains, according to provincial authorities.  

The buses, en route from Quetta to Punjab, were forcibly stopped in Zhob and Loralai districts. Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes as gunmen boarded the vehicles, checking IDs before abducting victims. “They dragged out 10 passengers, seven from one coach and three from the other and took them away. I heard gunfire as we escaped,” a survivor told Dawn newspaper. Government official Naveed Alam later confirmed the recovery of nine bullet-riddled bodies in nearby hills.  

This attack highlights the escalating ethnic tensions in resource-rich Balochistan, where separatist groups have long accused Punjab-dominated federal authorities of economic marginalization. The systematic targeting of Punjabi civilians marks a dangerous escalation in tactics by Baloch insurgents, who traditionally focused on security forces and infrastructure. Local analysts warn such sectarian violence could trigger retaliatory actions, further destabilizing the volatile region.  

The Pakistani military has intensified counterinsurgency operations in Balochistan, but Friday’s attack exposes critical security failures in protecting civilian transport routes. With no immediate claim of responsibility, the incident underscores the complex security challenges facing Islamabad as it battles multiple insurgencies while attempting to secure China’s $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) investments in the province. The targeted killings risk inflaming inter-provincial tensions at a time when Pakistan can ill afford further internal divisions.