KHUZDAR — A group of unidentified gunmen attacked a construction company’s camp in the Naal area of Khuzdar district, Balochistan, abducting 20 workers and torching several vehicles and pieces of heavy machinery. The violent assault took place in the remote Kaleri area, about 80 kilometres from Khuzdar city.
According to Levies officials, the attackers blocked the main highway before storming the private company’s camp and crush plant, which was part of a major road project linking Khuzdar to Basima in Washuk district — a key element of the province’s development network.
Levies officer Ali Akbar confirmed that the assailants set fire to at least eight vehicles, including heavy construction machinery and transport trucks. “They forcibly took several workers with them after causing extensive damage,” he said. Most of the abducted labourers were reportedly from Sindh province.
Zulfiqar Ahmed, manager of the D-Baloch Construction Company, said the attackers initially kidnapped 20 workers but later released two. “Eighteen are still missing,” he said, adding that the attack has caused widespread panic among the company’s staff and halted ongoing work at the site.
Following the incident, security forces — including the Levies, Frontier Corps, and Counter Terrorism Department — launched a joint search operation, cordoning off the entire area. Local tribal elders are assisting law enforcement agencies in locating the kidnapped workers. So far, no group has claimed responsibility.
Officials suspect the involvement of Baloch insurgent groups, who have previously targeted road construction projects and non-local labourers, accusing them of supporting “external interests.”
This marks the second major abduction of construction workers in Balochistan within a week. Earlier, nine labourers were kidnapped by armed men in the Mastung district’s Dasht area. With this latest attack, the total number of abducted workers has climbed to 27 this week alone.
The Balochistan government strongly condemned the assault, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. Analysts and local residents warn that such incidents threaten the province’s fragile development efforts and discourage companies from investing in regional infrastructure.
Security operations are ongoing as authorities intensify their search for the missing workers and review security protocols for development projects across the province.