QUETTA: Police on Thursday recovered three mutilated bodies in Panjgur district of Balochistan, officials told Dawn.

Murad Buledi, a police officer, told Dawn that police recovered three bodies from Rakhshan Nadi and Washbud areas of Panjgur and added that the bodies were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital, Panjgur for identification.

“All victims have received multiple bullets,” he further said.

Locals of the area claimed they had informed the police about the presence of the bodies late on Wednesday night and added that the police party arrived at the spot on Thursday.

A large number of family members of missing persons gathered at the hospital for identification of the bodies, a doctor in the hospital told Dawn on the condition of anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the matter.

According to sources in the Balochistan Home and Tribal Affairs Department, so far 53 mutilated bodies have been found in Quetta, Khuzdar, Turbat, Panjgur and other troubled areas of the province during the current year.

However, Baloch nationalist groups say the figure is higher than what was being quoted by the officials.

A shutter down strike was observed on Thursday in Kharan, Panjgur and other parts of Balochistan on the call of Baloch Varna Movement against the killings.Strict security measures were put in place to ensure peace during the strike.

There was no claim of responsibility for the killings.