QUETTA: The bullet-riddled bodies of four abducted truck drivers from Punjab were found on Tuesday in the Galangoor area of Noshki district, approximately 100 km west of Quetta, officials said.

The drivers were transporting LPG imported from Iran on May 9 when armed men intercepted their trucks in the Ahmedwal area on the Quetta-Taftan highway. The assailants burst the trucks’ tires and abducted the four men at gunpoint before security forces arrived at the scene, according to authorities.

Local residents informed the administration about the bodies, prompting Levies and other law-enforcement agencies to rush to the site. The bodies were taken to the district hospital in Noshki.

Hospital officials confirmed all four men died from multiple bullet injuries after being shot from a close range.

The deceased were identified as Moin and Huzaifa, residents of Pakpattan, and brothers Imran Ali and Irfan Ali, residents of Rahimyar Khan.

Their bodies were sent to respective hometowns after legal formalities were completed.

An investigation has been launched, officials said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the killings.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind strongly condemned the killings. “Those behind such heinous acts — enemies of peace — will not be spared,” Mr Rind said in a statement, describing the incident as “barbaric and deeply tragic.”

“The provincial government is utilising all available resources to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.”

Mr Rind extended condolences to the victims’ families and assured them that justice would be served. He noted the victims were from Punjab and said the incident “appeared to be an attempt by terrorist elements to disrupt interprovincial harmony”.

“The Balochistan government is committed to conducting a transparent and thorough investigation. Those responsible will soon be apprehended and dealt with an iron hand,” Mr Rind affirmed. He reiterated the government’s determination to uphold law and order, asserting that “such cowardly acts would not shake the state’s resolve”.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2025