Gunmen in southwest Pakistan killed at least 33 people on Monday, after stopping vehicles and checking the passengers’ ethnicity, according to government officials. The attack took place early Monday in Musakhail district, Balochistan province, where security forces are dealing with ongoing sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence.

“Militants stopped multiple buses, trucks, and vans on a highway linking Punjab and Balochistan, killing at least 22 people and injuring 5,” said Najibullah Kakar, a senior official in Musakhail, to AFP.

He added that the militants inspected vehicles traveling between Punjab and Balochistan, singled out individuals from Punjab, and shot them.

He stated that 19 Punjabis and 3 Baloch, mostly Punjabi laborers, were killed. Another senior district official, Hameed Zehri, confirmed the death toll to AFP, suggesting that Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants were likely responsible. The BLA is the most active separatist group in the region. Balochistan, despite being Pakistan’s largest province, remains its poorest, with significant untapped natural resources.

Pakistan President And PM Express Sorrow Over The Incident

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed their sadness over the deaths, calling the attackers “enemies of the nation.” The President stressed that the people responsible must be brought to justice.