Unidentified armed assailants launched a deadly attack with rockets on local coal mines in the Duki district of Balochistan in the wee hours of Friday, resulting in the death of 20 miners.
The bodies and the injured miners were rushed to nearby Teaching Hospital Loralai for medical care.
Teams of police and FC personnel have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.
Police earlier said that two labourers were killed in the attack. However, Medical Officer Dr Johar Sadozai confirmed that the death toll from the attack had risen to 20, with seven miners injured.
The outlaws gathered the miners at one place and opened fire at them. Police said the assailants used hand grenades and rockets in the attack.
The owner of the coal mines, District Chairman Haji Khairullah Nasir, said that there are ten coal mines located in the area where the attackers not only carried out an assault but also set the mining machinery on fire.
Two of the deceased belonged to Pishin and two others were residents of Qila Saifullah while one of them was from Kuchlak and three others came for work from Afghanistan, according to the medial officer.
Reuters adds: “A group of armed men attacked the Junaid Coal company mines in the Duki area in the wee hours using heavy weapons,” said Humayun Khan, the police station house officer for the town, located east of the city of Quetta. They fired rockets and grenades at the mines as well, he added.
“We have received 20 bodies and six injured so far at district hospital Duki,” said Johar Khan Shadizai, a doctor in Duki.