Seven employees of a private mining firm were abducted by unidentified armed assailants in the Mahian Kaur area of Chagai district, Balochistan, police confirmed on Thursday. Among the kidnapped workers, four hail from Gilgit-Baltistan.
The incident occurred approximately 400 kilometers southwest of Quetta, where gunmen on motorcycles stormed the mining site during working hours. They took seven workers hostage and caused damage to the machinery before forcibly removing the workers from the location.
Authorities identified the four abducted individuals from Gilgit as Wajahat, Wajid, Shahid, and Sabir. The remaining three local workers were named Ziauddin, Shah Saleem, and Saeed Mohammad.
Meanwhile, the attackers looted significant mining equipment and supplies. They remained at the site for several hours, seizing a Zambad vehicle, a 4×4 pickup truck, over 20 solar panels, a Zarnag motorcycle, bedding, kitchen utensils, gas cylinders, along with 2,500 liters of diesel and 1,500 liters of petrol, among other items.
Following the report of the incident, police and district administration officials promptly arrived at the scene. A formal case was registered, and a search operation was launched to locate the abductors and secure the release of the workers.
Notably, no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings so far, and the abducted miners remain missing. Similar abduction and looting incidents have been reported previously in Balochistan, especially in Chagai, with some attributed to Baloch militant factions.
In a significant development, the Balochistan government has consistently condemned such acts, labeling them as efforts by hostile elements to hinder development and deter investment in the province.
