3 people, 2 of them Hindus, shot dead in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Three people, including two members of the minority Hindu community, were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Kech district of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, while one person was injured, local media reported on Tuesday.

According to police, armed men riding motorcycles opened fire near a marketplace in Turbat, close to the Iranian border. Police termed the incident a targeted killing. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet.

“Two members of the Hindu community were killed in the gunfire,” an official said, adding that the bodies and the injured were shifted to a government hospital in Turbat.

The victims were identified as Hari Lal and Moti Lal, and the injured as Shero Mal. Police said the deceased hailed from Sanghar area of southern Sindh province.

Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident and ordered the immediate arrest of those responsible.

Separatist groups have long been at the forefront of a low-level insurgency in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area and rich in mineral resources. Separatists claim Islamabad is abusing the province’s natural wealth while ignoring the local population.

In recent months these groups have carried out large-scale attacks in Balochistan, targeting Chinese nationals and interests engaged in investment projects, security forces, and ethnic Punjabis they perceive as outsiders in the restive province.