QUETA:
Unknown gunmen attacked the camp of a construction company in Khuzdar district on Thursday night, kidnapping 18 workers and setting fire to several vehicles and heavy machinery.
The incident, the second mass kidnapping of workers in Balochistan in 24 hours, has raised security fears across the province. According to authorities, the attack took place in Kaleri, located about 80 kilometers from Khuzdar in Nall tehsil.
Dozens of heavily armed assailants first blocked the main road to stop traffic before storming the camp and the crushing plant of a private construction company.
The company was working on a major road project connecting Khuzdar to Basima in Washuk district, which is a key component of the province’s ongoing development plans.
According to Levis Force chief Ali Akbar, the attackers targeted the company’s crushing plant, setting vehicles and construction equipment on fire.
“At least eight vehicles, including heavy machinery and transport trucks, were severely damaged in the fire,” he said, adding that the assailants forced the workers into their vehicles and escaped into the nearby mountains.
Most of the kidnapped workers belong to Sindh province and had come to Balochistan in search of work.
Company manager Zulfiqar Ahmed confirmed that the gunmen initially kidnapped 20 workers, but later released two, while 18 remain missing.
“Efforts are being made for its recovery,” he said, warning that the attack would seriously disrupt the company’s operations and had spread fear and anxiety among workers.
As soon as the incident was reported, security forces launched a joint operation. Personnel from the Levis Force, the Border Corps (FC) and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area and began an investigation.
According to officials, a search operation had also been launched with the help of local tribal elders to locate the kidnapped workers, although no success had been achieved so far.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the area has long been home to Baloch separatist groups, which have previously attacked construction companies, road projects and other development initiatives.
The groups are known to oppose government-led infrastructure projects and often attack non-local workers, whom they accuse of being part of what they describe as outside interference in the region.
The incident marks the second major abduction of workers in 24 hours, as on Thursday morning, unidentified gunmen abducted nine construction workers from Dasht in Mastung district, who remain missing.
The Balochistan government condemned the latest incident and promised swift justice, with officials saying “the perpetrators will be arrested soon and brought to justice.”
