(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - At least 14 Shia Muslims have been martyred after unidentified gunmen opened fire on the passengers of a bus in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan.
The gunmen that carried out the Tuesday attack were on motorbikes when they stopped a bus carrying mostly Shia Muslims of the Hazara community, heading to work at a market in the Akhtarabad area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, according to news agencies.
The attackers forced passengers off the bus, made them stand in a line and then opened fire, officials said.
No group or person has claimed responsibility for the attack.
However, reports indicate that Pro-Taliban groups have launched a violent campaign against Shia Muslims and appear to have expanded their terror campaign to major Pakistani cities.
On September 20, at least 29 Shia Muslim pilgrims who were on their way to pilgrim Imam Reza (a.s) in Iran martyred after gunmen opened fire on a bus in Balochistan.
Since the 1980s, thousands of people have been killed in sectarian-related incidents in Pakistan.
Shia sources say they make up one-third of Pakistan's total population of nearly 170 million.
Names of Martyrs:
- Zaki Hussain
- Muhammad Ali s/o Hasan Ali
- Athay Rahmat
- Muhammad Ali s/o Chaman Ali
- JAn Ali s/o Ahmed Ali
- Qurban Ali s/o Ibrahim
- Salman Ali s/o Ramzan Ali
- Askar Ali s/o Ghulam Ali
- Muhammad Ali s/o Ali Hussain
- Hussain Ali s/o Ali Bakhash
- Norullah Mazari w/o Wazir Ali
- Hussain Bakhsh s/o Ali Dad
- Abdul Rehman s/o Abdul Sattar (Pashtoon)
- Unidentified
Names of Injures:
- Mujeebullah s/o Abdul Wajab
- Jawad
- Muhammad Javed s/o Muhammad Ibrahim
- Eid Muhammad s/o Baraat
- Ali Baba s/o Hassan Ali
- Abdullah s/o Jumma Khan
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