The bullet-riddled bodies of five people were found hanging from an electric pole in Balochistan on Friday, government officials said.

The bodies were discovered early morning near a college in Dalbandin city in Balochistan, where separatist militant groups have waged a long and bloody insurgency.

“Five bullet-ridden bodies were found hanging from an electric pylon,” Attiq Shahwani, a senior government official in the area, told AFP.

“They have been shifted to a local hospital. Doctors have ascertained that the cause of death is multiple bullet wounds, mostly in the chest area.”

He said the men were likely killed on Thursday.

No missing persons reports were registered with local police and the men had not yet been identified, he added.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mir Hussain Lehri said that the bodies were not identified, adding that the deceased were shot dead.

He said that it “seemed” all the individuals were Afghan nationals. However, National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) had been requested to ascertain the identity of the deceased using fingerprints.

He added that the police had launched an investigation into the incident after collecting evidence.

Balochistan is home to several militant groups, some fighting for independence or a greater share of the region’s mineral resources, with security forces often the target of bombings.

Additional reporting by Abdullah Zehri