QUETTA: Eight Pakistani nationals were brutally murdered in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, allegedly by an anti-Pakistan terrorist group, reports said Saturday.
According to reports, all the eight Pakistani nationals were killed this morning in the village of Hazabad, located in the Mehrstan district of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, approximately 100 kilometers from the Pakistan-Iran border, deep inside Iranian territory.
Sources said, the victims were resident of Bhawalpur district in southern Punjab. The incident took place in the village of Hasabad Payin in the Iranian district of Mehrestan of the Iranian province of Balochistan and Sistan. The unknown attackers who were more than a dozen managed to escape from the scene after the attack.
All the deceased workers were motor mechanics in a workshop. The five victims were identified as Dilshad, Naeem, Jafar, Danish and Nasir. The deceased Dilshad is said to be the owner of the motor workshop that was targeted by the terror attack.
The deceased, Dilshad and Naeem, were father and son. The deceased belonged to Bahawalpur district of southern Punjab. The bodies have been shifted to nearby hospitals. The process of identification and verification of the citizenship of the remaining bodies is ongoing.
Pakistani embassy officials in Iran were gathering more details.
Pakistani embassy officials have been dispatched to the site. Due to the remoteness of the location, communication has been difficult, and Iranian authorities have yet to issue an official statement.
Officials are currently working to confirm the identities of the victims and facilitate the repatriation of their bodies.
Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province has seen a rise in activities by groups hostile to Pakistan. In the past, Iran has launched operations against these groups, but the latest incident raises serious concerns over cross-border security coordination.
Diplomatic sources suggest that Islamabad is in contact with Iranian authorities and is expected to demand a thorough investigation into the killings.—NNI
