Gunmen have killed at least 22 individuals in south-west Pakistan after forcing them out of their vehicles and checking their identity, officials say.
The attack happened overnight on a highway in Balochistan province, where security forces are battling sectarian, ethnic and separatist violence.
The armed men checked identity documents, reportedly singling out those from Punjab to be shot, before setting the vehicles alight, officials alleged.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant group, has said it was behind the attacks in Musa Khel district.
According to Najibullah Kakar, a senior local official, around 30 to 40 militants were involved.
“They stopped 22 vehicles,” he told AFP news agency. “Vehicles traveling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot.”
The BLA has said it was targeting military personnel travelling in civilian clothes, according to news agency Reuters.
Before the attack, the BLA warned the Baloch public to stay away from the highway, adding that their “fight is against the occupying Pakistani military”.
“We have taken full control of all major highways across Balochistan, blocking them completely,” it added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep grief and condemnation over the terrorist attack” in a statement issued by his office.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province but, although it has more resources than other provinces, it is the least developed.
The BLA and other Baloch separatists have intensified attacks on Punjabis and Sinhdis from elsewhere in Pakistan working in the region. They have also targeted foreign energy firms they accuse of exploiting the region without sharing profits.
In a similar incident in April this year, nine passengers were offloaded from a bus in Balochistan and shot dead after their IDs were checked.
Over past 24 hours, the BLA has launched a series of attacks on multiple government installations – including police stations and security forces’ camps across province.
Several Western countries, including the UK and US, have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organisation.
