Heavy machinery, vehicles torched; later two abductees released, 18 still missing
Unidentified gunmen reportedly attacked a construction company’s camp in Khuzdar district and ‘abducted 20 labourers’. The assailants also torched several vehicles and heavy machinery, causing extensive damage to the site.
Officials said the incident occurred in the remote Kaleri area of Naal, about 80 kilometres from Khuzdar. Armed men reportedly blocked the highway before storming the private company’s camp and crush plant. The company had been working on a key road project linking Khuzdar to Basima in Washuk district—part of Balochistan’s ongoing development plans.
According to Levies officer Ali Akbar, the attackers set fire to machinery and vehicles at the site, damaging at least eight, including heavy equipment and transport trucks. “The gunmen then forcibly took several workers with them,” he said, adding that most of the abducted labourers hailed from Sindh province and had gone to Balochistan for work.
Manager Zulfiqar Ahmed of the construction company D-Baloch, confirmed that the attackers initially kidnapped 20 workers, releasing two later. “Eighteen labourers are still missing,” he said. “The attack has severely affected our operations and created fear among the staff,” he mentioned.
Read more: Nine workers abducted from construction site in Balochistan’s Mastung
Following the incident, security forces, including the Levies, Frontier Corps, and Counter Terrorism Department, launched a joint search operation. Authorities have cordoned off the area. Local tribal elders are providing all possible help to the agencies in their efforts to locate the missing workers. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack and kidnapping the workers.
Officials noted that armed Baloch insurgent groups have been active in the region and have previously targeted road construction projects and non-local workers, accusing them of representing external interests.
This is the second major abduction of workers in Balochistan within a week. Just days earlier, nine labourers were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in the Dasht area of Mastung district. With the latest incident, the total number of abducted workers this week has risen to 27.
The recent surge in violence has raised serious security concerns for companies and labourers involved in development projects across the province. The Balochistan government has condemned the attack, pledging to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Local residents and analysts warn that such incidents undermine Balochistan’s fragile development process. They urge authorities to implement a comprehensive security strategy to protect workers and ongoing infrastructure projects.
Investigations are ongoing, and security forces continue search operations in the affected areas.
