Pakistan: Gunmen abduct 18 labourers in Khuzdar

ISLAMABAD: Armed assailants attacked a construction company’s camp in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district in Pakistan, abducting 18 labourers and torching several vehicles and pieces of heavy machinery, The Express Tribune reported on Saturday.

According to The Express Tribune, the incident that took place late Thursday was the second large-scale abduction of workers in Balochistan within 24 hours and has intensified security concerns across the province.

Officials said the assault occurred in Kaleri, about 80 kilometres from Khuzdar, in the Nall tehsil.

Dozens of gunmen, reportedly carrying heavy weapons, first blocked the main road to stop traffic before raiding the camp and crushing the plant of a private construction firm engaged in building a key road connecting Khuzdar to Basima in Washuk district, a major component of the province’s ongoing development projects, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to Levis Force, Pakistan’s local paramilitary force, official Ali Akbar, the attackers set fire to the company’s vehicles and construction equipment.

“At least eight vehicles, including heavy machinery and transport trucks, were badly damaged in the fire,” Akbar said, as quoted by The Express Tribune.

He further added that the armed men later forced the labourers into their vehicles and fled towards the nearby mountains.

As per The Express Tribune, most of the abducted workers are from Sindh province and had travelled to Balochistan for employment opportunities.

The company’s manager, Zulfiqar Ahmed, confirmed that 20 workers were initially kidnapped, though two were later released, leaving 18 still missing.

“Efforts are underway for their recovery,” he said, noting that the incident has disrupted operations and instilled fear among employees.

Following reports of the attack, security forces launched a joint operation. Personnel from Pakistan’s Levis Force, Frontier Corps (FC), and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) reached the site, secured the area, and began investigations.

Officials said a search operation, assisted by local tribal elders, has also been initiated to trace the kidnapped workers, but no progress has been made so far.

No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. However, the region has been a stronghold of Baloch separatist organisations that have previously targeted construction companies, infrastructure projects, and non-local labourers, as reported by The Express Tribune.

These groups oppose state-led development efforts, viewing them as external interference in the province.

This marks the second major incident of worker abduction within 24 hours. Earlier on Thursday morning, unidentified gunmen kidnapped nine construction workers from Dasht in the Mastung district, who remain missing, The Express Tribune reported. (ANI)