At least 20 killed in attack on miners in south-western Pakistan

Unidentified gunmen lined up miners at a small private coal mine in south-western Pakistan and shot them on Oct 11, amid rising violence in the restive region, police and media said. At least 20 were killed and seven wounded.

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The attack took place early in the morning in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. It is the worst in weeks and comes days ahead of the country hosting a summit of the Eurasian group Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The killing of the miners also happened as Islamabad hosts a delegation from Saudi Arabia that is exploring mining deals in the South Asian country trying to recover from an economic crisis.

No group has claimed responsibility for the Oct 11 attack.

“A group of armed men attacked the Junaid Coal company mines in the Duki area in the wee hours using heavy weapons,” said Mr Humayun Khan, the police station house officer for the town, which is located east of Quetta.