Gunmen killed at least 22 people in southwestern Pakistan after forcing them out of their cars and checking their identities, officials said.
The attack occurred overnight on a highway in Balochistan province, where security forces are battling sectarian, ethnic and separatist violence.
Officials said the armed men checked identification documents and reportedly singled out people from Punjab for shooting before setting the vehicle on fire.
Militant group the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said it was behind the attack in the Musakal area.
According to Najibullah Kakar, a senior local official, approximately 30 to 40 militants were involved.
“They stopped 22 vehicles,” he told AFP. “Vehicles entering and leaving Punjab were checked and people coming from Punjab were identified and shot.”
The BLA said it targeted military personnel traveling in civilian clothes, according to Reuters.
Ahead of the attack, the BLA warned Baloch people to stay off the highway, adding that their “fight was against the occupying Pakistani forces”.
“We have taken complete control of all major highways in Balochistan and have completely blocked them,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep sorrow and condemnation of the terrorist attack” in a statement issued by his office.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province, but although it has more resources than other provinces, it is the least developed.
The BLA and other Baluch separatists have stepped up attacks against Punjabis and Sindhis from elsewhere in Pakistan working in the area. They have also targeted foreign energy companies, accusing them of developing in the area without sharing profits.
In a similar incident in April this year, nine passengers were shot dead after their identity documents were checked after getting off a bus in Balochistan.
Over the past 24 hours, the BLA has launched a series of attacks on multiple government installations, including police stations and security force camps across the province.
Many Western countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have listed the BLA as a global terrorist organization.
