Eight Pakistanis shot dead in Iran in suspected targeted sectarian attack

Eight Pakistani workers were killed by gunmen in southeastern Iran on Saturday (April 12) in what appears to be a targeted killing in the restive province of Sistan-Baluchestan. The eight victims, all from Pakistan’s Punjab, were working at a car repair workshop in Meharistan district when armed assailants arrived, tied them up, and opened indiscriminate fire at them.

Iranian officials confirmed the deaths and said the victims were from Bahawalpur in southern Punjab, Pakistan. They used to work at the workshop, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Five victims were identified by Iranian authorities as Dilshad, his son Muhammad Naeem, Jaffar, Danish, and Nasir. The names of the other three have not been released. Police arrived at the scene after being informed about the killings and transferred the bodies to a hospital.

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The Balochistan National Army (BNA), a banned ethnic Baloch separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said in a statement sent to local media outlets that it had deliberately targeted the Pakistanis.

Iranian police have launched an investigation into the killings but have not made any arrests so far. The region has witnessed repeated violence involving separatist groups, drug traffickers, and militant organisations operating along the porous Iran-Pakistan border.

In a similar incident, in January 2024, armed men had killed nine Pakistanis in Saravan city of Iran. They were also working as motor mechanics at a workshop.

The incident is likely to raise fresh concerns about cross-border violence and the safety of migrant workers in volatile regions.

Pakistan’s Balochistan has long grappled with insurgency and unrest. Locals, particularly the Balochs, have blamed governments for exploiting and profiting from Balochistan’s resources while neglecting the development of the region.

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