NOSHKI (National Times) Some unidentified gunmen shot dead at least nine people hailing from Punjab after abducting them from a passenger bus in Noshki while two persons were killed and five other were wounded when the miscreants opened fire on another vehicle on late Friday night.

According to Deputy Commissioner Nushki Habibullah Mosakhel, gunmen blocked Quetta-Nushki-Taftan N-40 Highway near Sultan Charhai area on Friday and started searching the vehicles.

They opened fire on a vehicle when it did not stop due to which two people were killed and five other were wounded. Brother of MPA Ghulam Dastgir Badini was among the injured. The deceased were residents of Noshki.

The gunmen also abducted nine passengers from a bus by checking their identity cards and fled towards the nearby mountains. Later, they shot dead the abductees and dumped their bodies near a bridge. The deceased belonged to various cities of Punjab.

Heavy contingents of Police, FC and other law enforcing agencies have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the killing of 11 people in Noshki and vowed to thwart the evil intentions of anti-state elements for maintaining peace in the province.