Nine killed in Balochistan mine attack

Nine workers were killed when militants attacked a copper and gold mine site in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, police said on Thursday.

The attack took place at the copper and gold project operated by National Resources Limited (NRL) in the Chagai district’s Darigwan site on Wednesday evening, when the workers were finishing their shift, a senior police official said.

“It was a targeted attack and carried out at a time when workers were winding up their shift,” the official said.

He said that the bodies were taken to Prince Fahad Hospital in Dalbandin.

The mining company confirmed the attack in a statement but did not mention casualties. It said security forces, including the Frontier Corps, responded promptly, secured the area, and launched a clearance operation.

The statement said the NRL remained “fully committed to the development and empowerment of local communities in Balochistan, with a strong focus on improving livelihoods and contributing to Balochistan’s economy”.

It said 90 per cent of its workforce at the Darigwan site comprised individuals from Balochistan.

The mining company recently reported discoveries of copper, gold, lead and zinc deposits.

This is not the first time that militants have attacked construction sites in the province, where workers mostly from other provinces were targeted.