Five labourers from Pakistan’s Punjab province were shot dead at a construction site in Balochistan’s Pishin district, a provincial government official said Tuesday, according to news agency PTI.The labourers were killed by unidentified gunmen in Saranan town on Monday morning, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said. Their bodies were sent to their hometowns in Punjab for burial.Arrangements were made to transport the bodies to their respective villages in Ahmedpur Sharqia and Bahawalpur, Rind said. Security forces have launched a search operation to track down the attackers.Balochistan chief minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the killings and vowed action against those responsible.“Those shedding the blood of innocent laborers deserve no leniency,” Bugti said in a statement issued by his office. “The cowardly acts of terrorists cannot weaken the provincial government’s resolve.”Saranan town has witnessed militant attacks since last week. A few days ago, gunmen attacked a police station in the town and fled with weapons, ammunition and two vehicles.Banned Baloch insurgent groups have frequently targeted workers and labourers from other provinces working in Balochistan.In July, five barbers from Multan were shot dead in Mashkail town after armed men on motorcycles opened fire at their barber shop.Last month, six labourers from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were abducted in the Nasirabad area of Turbat district. Their bullet-riddled bodies were later found in a remote area, police said.Security and law enforcement agencies have been conducting a large-scale operation against insurgent groups in parts of Balochistan since early July. However, the attacks have continued.In a separate incident on Sunday, five policemen were injured when two unidentified men hurled a hand grenade at a police post in Ambar tehsil of Mohmand district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Police retaliated with gunfire, forcing the attackers to flee. The injured policemen were taken to a nearby hospital and are said to be out of danger. An investigation is underway.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed recurring militant violence, including attacks linked to insurgent groups, cross-border movement of fighters and repeated military operations.
