Unidentified gunmen attacked a marble factory and quarry in the Naal area of Khuzdar district in Pakistan's Balochistan province late on Saturday, 17 October, and abducted 18 people, police officials said on Sunday. Media quoted a senior Khuzdar police official as saying those taken included the son of a local tribal elder and 17 labourers.
According to officials quoted by the media, dozens of armed men arrived in vehicles and on motorcycles at the site, which lies about 35 to 40 kilometres from Khuzdar city. One worker who tried to flee was shot and wounded. The attackers also drove off with a loader and two other vehicles. Media reports said the factory belongs to former Balochistan provincial minister Sardar Aslam Bizenjo and his son.
No group has claimed responsibility. The Balochistan government condemned the attack and said it had launched a joint security operation in the area to free the hostages and arrest those responsible.
The abduction came a day after gunmen stopped a passenger van in Mastung and took away 20 police trainees from the Kalat police training centre who were travelling home for the weekend. Media also reported that Asadullah Kakar, the commissioner of Rakhshan Division, was abducted earlier this week while travelling through Kharan.
Separately, Pakistan's military said security forces had killed eight militants in intelligence-based operations in Quetta, Noshki and Khuzdar, though it was not clear whether those operations were linked to the recent kidnappings.
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