At least five labourers from Punjab were shot dead on Sunday when unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on shops in Mashkel town, Washuk district, close to the Pakistan-Iran border, according to police and provincial officials.

The victims — identified as Muhammad Bilal, Muhammad Hassan, Abdul Qadir (also reported as Muhammad Qadir), Mohsin, and a second victim named Bilal — were working at local shops, including a barber shop, when the assailants stormed the area and opened indiscriminate fire before fleeing the scene. All five died on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds.

Details of the Attack

Deputy Commissioner Washuk, Abdul Majeed Sarparah, confirmed that the victims belonged to different districts of Punjab and had travelled to Mashkel for work. Police and law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace those responsible.

The bodies were shifted to a government health facility in Mashkel for medico-legal formalities, after which arrangements were made to send them to their native towns in Punjab.

Security sources said the attack was carried out by terrorists affiliated with groups Pakistani authorities refer to as “Fitna al-Hindustan,” a term used by state agencies for Indian-backed terrorists in the province. The incident occurred amid the ongoing Operation Shaban, a counter-terrorism campaign that security forces say has eliminated more than 100 terrorists since early July.