Pakistan: Militants kill 20 labourers in Balochistan province

At least 20 ethnic Punjabi and Sindhi labourers were killed on Saturday by unidentified militants who attacked their camp in a remote area of Pakistan's restive southwestern province of Balochistan.

At least 20 ethnic Punjabi and Sindhi labourers were killed on Saturday by unidentified militants who attacked their camp in a remote area of Pakistan's restive southwestern province of Balochistan.

The labourers, working on a bridge at Sohrab Dam in Gagdan area of Turbat, were sleeping in their camp when gunmen attacked them, police officer Imran Qureshi said.

The militants came on motorbikes and opened indiscriminate fire on labourers around 2am, he said.

Qureshi said that 16 of the dead belonged to Punjab while four hailed from Sindh province.

Three workers were injured in the attack. The injured were rushed to district headquarter hospital.

Nobody took responsibility for the attack but Baloch militants often target ethnic Punjabis as they consider the elite of majority Punjab province exploiting the mineral resources of Balochistan.

Nationalists also blame Punjabi dominated security forces as responsible for highhandedness in the province, an allegation denied by the armed forces and federal government.