Gunmen killed at least 19 passengers they had forced off buses travelling from Quetta to Karachi on the southern coast, said the home minister for the restive province of Balochistan, where the attack took place. The assault occurred late on Friday in the town of Mastung, around 40 km south of Quetta. "The armed men were wearing the uniforms of the security forces," Sarfaraz Bugti told Reuters. The bodies of 19 passengers had been found so far, he said.

Security officials said around 25 passengers were taken off two buses, and an operation began to find them. The bodies were discovered in nearby hills, the officials said. The circumstances of their deaths could not immediately be established, and the motives of the assailants were unclear. As well as the 19 killed, one person was injured and five more people rescued unharmed.

MONITORING DESK ADDS: The exchange of fire between security forces and militants was ongoing and the death toll from the tragedy was expected to rise, said officials. Meanwhile, DCO Mastung claimed that 15 to 20 militants had abducted around 35 passengers. Five passengers were released by militants, the Levies official said.

Traffic remained suspended on the Quetta-Karachi highway as transporters staged a protest against the incident. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in Mastung. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and directed concerned authorities to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime at the earliest.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

Copyright Reuters, 2015