A tragic incident occurred in southwestern Pakistan, where unidentified gunmen brutally killed seven bus passengers. According to a government official, the victims were targeted specifically because they belonged to a different region. 

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The assailants burst the tyres of the bus that was passing through Balochistan, close to the border with Pakistan's Punjab province, late on Tuesday (Feb 18), said Saadat Hussain, a senior government official in the area.

They climbed the bus, checked the identity cards of passengers and asked the Punjabis to get out of the vehicle.

Following this, they were lined up and shot dead.

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"The passengers belonging to Punjab province... were taken off by the terrorists and killed," Hussain told news agency AFP.

Also read: Bomb blast kills 10 labourers in southwest Pakistan

"Later they were lined up and shot dead."

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No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Balochistan, a province in southwestern Pakistan, has been plagued by decades of violence fueled by sectarian, ethnic and separatist tensions. 

Despite being rich in natural resources, the region remains impoverished.

Its strategic location, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, adds to the complexity of the security challenges faced by Pakistani forces.

(With inputs from agencies)