At least 46 people, including 12 terrorists, were killed in multiple clashes and attacks that lasted several hours in southwest Pakistan, officials and local media reported on Monday.
Suspected militants killed 23 passengers in southwestern Balochistan province on Monday morning after forcing them to disembark from several vehicles, the latest in a string of heinous terrorist incidents in the province.
The incident occurred near the Musakhel district, where heavily armed militants blocked a key road, stopped several vehicles, and offloaded passengers before spraying bullets.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed the incident, saying the terrorists targeted "innocent" people, vowing that they and their "facilitators" will be brought to justice.
According to police, the attackers set at least 10 vehicles on fire before fleeing.
Local broadcaster Geo News aired footage of several charred and partially charred vehicles lining the road.
Shahid Rind, a Balochistan government spokeswoman, told reporters that the terrorists searched buses and trucks and checked the passengers' identities before killing them. The deceased are said to be from the northeastern Punjab province.
Meanwhile, another 10 people, including five security personnel and as many citizens, were killed in a night-long clash between militants and police on the National Highway in Balochistan's Qalat district, Qalat City Police chief Dostin Dashti told reporters.
Police said 12 attackers have so far been killed and several injured in clashes.
