Bureau Report/DNA

QUETTA: Eleven coal miners were killed and four others were seriously injured after armed men opened fire at them at the Machh coal field. Police said that armed men took the coal miners to nearby mountains where they opened fire on them. Eleven were confirmed dead by police and the others injured were said to be in critical condition.

The injured were taken to the Machh hospital for treatment. After news of the incident broke, police and FC personnel have arrived at the coal mine.

Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said that the incident was an act of terrorism. “Investigative institutions are probing the incident from every angle to determine who is responsible for this,” he said.

Shahwani said that terrorist activities in Balochistan were on the rise, adding that Levies personnel are present in the area to provide security. “The situation [in the area] was satisfactory hence this incident wasn’t expected,” he said, adding that the area where the killings took place is quite large.

The Balochistan government official said that security in the area will be increased after assessing the situation. He vowed that those responsible for the incident will be brought to the book.