Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Saturday condemned the reported killing of Pakistanis in Iran, expressing “deep grief and sorrow over the loss of valuable lives”.

Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement that the ministry is aware of the incident and is in touch with Iranian authorities.

“[We] will comment once facts are established and confirmed details are available,” the statement read.

According to a statement by his office, the Sindh CM said, “This is a horrific and despicable incident and we condemn it. The attack is an attempt by common enemies to spoil the relationship between Pakistan and Iran.”

CM Murad demanded an “immediate investigation into the incident and immediate accountability of those involved” from the Iranian government, according to the statement.

Local media reported that eight Pakistani nationals from Bahawalpur were shot and killed by armed suspects in Sistan-Baluchestan, near the Pakistani border. The reports added that they were car mechanics.

The reports added that they were “targeted by an anti-Pakistan group”.

In January last year, nine Pakistani workers were gunned down by unidentified attackers in Sistan-Baluchestan near the border.

Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that “according to witnesses, this morning unknown armed men killed nine non-Iranians in a house in the Sirkan neighbourhood of Saravan city” in Sistan-Baluchestan. Three Pakistanis were also injured in the incident.

The individuals who lost their lives in the incident were from Pun­jab, specifically originating from Multan, Muzaff­argarh and Bahawalpur districts.

Last month, four labourers from Punjab were shot dead by unknown assailants in Balochistan’s Kalat district, according to officials.

Meanwhile, officials said four people were killed in the Kalmat area between Pasni and Ormara after being offloaded from a Karachi-bound passenger bus.

“Armed men killed four passengers after checking their ID cards and took away three others,” an official of the local administration said, adding that they belonged to Punjab.

In February, unidentified gunmen killed seven people travelling to their native Punjab after off-loading them from a passenger bus, in the Barkhan district.

Last August, at least 23 people were killed in Balochistan’s Musakhail district after armed men offloaded passengers from trucks and buses and shot at them after checking their identities, an official said.

“Vehicles travelling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot,” Musakhail Assistant Commissioner Najeeb Kakar told AFP.

Last April, nine people from Punjab were killed near Noshki when gunmen forced them off a bus they were travelling in and shot them, officials said, adding that the gunmen checked the identity cards of passengers from the Taftan-bound bus and kidnapped them before shooting them dead.