Gunmen kill 14 bus passengers in Ormara, near Makran Coastal Highway
14 people were shot dead by attackers after several buses were ambushed in the remote Ormara, Makran Coastal Highway, Balochistan.
As being reported, Karachi to Gwadar bound bus was stopped near Ormara by unknown militants who checked ID cards of passengers, separated 16 of them and shot 14. Two of the passengers luckily managed to escape. Some of the dead were members of armed forces. The Pakistan Navy has confirmed that one victim was from the navy.
Inspector-general of the Balochistan police, Mohsin Hassan Butt, said around 15 to 20 gunmen wearing camouflage uniforms stopped up to six passenger buses traveling between Gwadar and Karachi and shot 14 passengers dead. The Pakistan Navy has confirmed that one victim was from the navy.
“Unidentified armed men stopped five to six buses including the coach of Aslam Dandai service bearing registration number BSA- 168, which were traveling to and from Karachi to Gwadar and offloaded 16 of the passengers after confirming their identity,” according to another police officer in Quetta.
“It was a confirmed attack of targeted killing and the victims were identified via their Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs). They were shot dead at point-blank range,” he added.
The local health official Muhammad Musa, who examined the bodies, told Al Jazeera that most had been shot in the head.
“They were all bullet injuries, there are no wounded, all are dead”, he further added.
The Prime Minister has sought a report from the administration and police and directed the authorities to make every possible effort to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Soon after the incident, Prime Minister Imran Khan issued a statement “strongly condemning the dastardly act of terror in Buzi Top area”.
The horrible incident is being condemned nationwide, demanding justice for the slain innocent people.
ہزارہ پر حملہ، پھرحیات آباد میں TTP اور پھر آج کوسٹل ہائ وے کا بہیمانہ واقعہ۔۔ ایک منظم پیٹرن نظرآرہا ہے، ہم نے امن کیلئے بہت قربانی دی ہے، انشااللہْ ہم ان واقعات کےذمہ داران کو مثال عبرت بنا دیں گے، ہم نے دہشتگردی کی جنگ میں بڑی کامیابیاں حاصل کی ہیںلیکن جنگ ابھی ختم نہیں ہوئ
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 18, 2019
Deeply appalled by the scale and intensity of the devastation that took place in #Ormara today. Killing innocent people so brutally will never help achieve anything. Highly condemnable and terribly sad to see that no one is safe in Balochistan.
— Akhtar Mengal (@sakhtarmengal) April 18, 2019
Devastated about the brutal murder of 14 passengers on #Makran Coastal Highway. This is an heinous act of terrorism. My thoughts & prayers for the victim's families. It is a conspiracy to create hurdles in development of #Balochistan.#Ormara #Gwadar #Quetta
— Mohammad Sarwar (@ChMSarwar) April 18, 2019
#Ormara They kill us sometimes bcz of our religious beliefs in the case of Hazaras or bcz of ethnicity, language or purely bcz we r Pakistanis. No matter wht the reason, thr target is PAKISTAN. We r all in this 2gthr & we will all win this 2gthr Insha Allah. Prayers for martyrs.
— Hamza Ali Abbasi (@iamhamzaabbasi) April 18, 2019
Justifications for the #Ormara terrorist attack have started pouring in. The bodies of the victims are yet to be buried. Try finding the following words in the quoted tweet: terror, terrorists, innocent passengers. #Balochistan https://t.co/Tt3aoBM01A
— Ali Salman Alvi (@alisalmanalvi) April 18, 2019
14 people martyred in #Balochistan. Terrorists are on offensive, from #Quetta to #Ormara their agenda is to destabilise #Pakistan. Thats what they had been doing in past by killing #ShiaHazaras to Jawans of forces, police.They r united, we arent, we must B https://t.co/UE7SiSFBuq
— Faisal Subzwari (@faisalsubzwari) April 18, 2019
Strongly condemn the brutal attack on bus passengers in #Ormara, #Balochistan. Violence and terrorism are totally unacceptable! Our sympathies are with the families of the deceased.
@CNN https://t.co/6aWrSAgyLX— Alfred Grannas (@GermanyinPAK) April 18, 2019
The horrific massacres at #Ormara and #Hazarganji area of Quetta have left us shocked and shaken.
Please spread a prayer for the poor victims.
Authorities must deploy all the available resources in catching the perpetrators. 😢 😔— Balochistan Paradise (@balochparadise) April 18, 2019
An alleged separatist group named BRAS has reportedly claimed responsibility of the attack, the statement was released on its social media.
Further updates and clarification in this regard are being awaited.