QUETTA: Two hundred Shia pilgrims reached Quetta from Taftan in four buses on Tuesday under heavy security. They had crossed the Iranian border on Monday.

“The buses carrying the pilgrims, including women and children, were escorted by heavy contingents of the Frontier Corps, Anti-Terrorist Force, Levies Force and police. Helicopters were flying over the convoy,” an official of the home department said.

The pilgrims have returned from Iran, Iraq and Syria after visiting holy sites. They belong to Quetta, Karachi, Lahore Islamabad and different cities and towns of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sources said that buses were used to transport the pilgrims because transport aircraft of the PAF were not available. Earlier, three C-130 planes of the PAF airlifted around 350 pilgrims from Dalbandin airport to Quetta after use of the land route between Quetta and Taftan was suspended in the wake of an attack on a pilgrims’ bus in Mastung area.

Sources said that 500 more pilgrims were expected to reach Taftan from Iran in a few days.

The official said the provincial government would try to get transport aircraft for airlifting pilgrims from Dalbandin airport on their return.