Four Baloch refugees from Balochistan have been shot dead by armed assailants in the Spin Boldak area of Afghanistan, Baloch Republican Party confirmed the news.
The four deceased individuals were among the internally displaced members of the Bugti tribe who were forced out of Balochistan due to the intense military crackdown. They moved to Afghanistan a while ago for refuge and were shot dead in Spin Boldak, a border town in southern Kandahar, on Sunday.
Sher Muhammad Bugti, the spokesperson for the Baloch Republican Party, confirmed the incident on Twitter, saying that Pakistani intelligence agencies are behind these killings. He said that due to the “brutality” of the Pakistani state and the intense military crackdown, a large number of Baloch have fled Balochistan and sought refuge in other countries. But they are not even safe there.
BRP President Brahumdagh Bugti also accused the Pakistani authorities of the attack, saying: “Brutal killing of Baloch refugees in #Afghanistan continues as Pakistan secret agencies kill four more Bugti men in yet another brutal attack. Silence of Refugee orgs and Human Rights groups is shameful. @UN & international community must #SaveBalochRefugees.”
The four individuals were identified as Ghulam Nabi s/o Tirong Ali Bugti, Jangi s/o Durman Bugti, Sakka s/o Deen Muhammad Bugti and Ameer Jan s/o Rustam Bugti.
It should be noted that this incident is not an isolated event: Baloch refugees have been repeatedly targeted in Afghanistan and other countries around the globe. In December last year, two individuals from the Bugti tribe were shot dead in Kandahar. Another individual was “abducted” from Nemroz and found dead after few days.
Many have expressed concern that the Pakistani forces are carrying out military operations in Balochistan, essentially forcing thousands of Baloch to abandon their homes and migrate to neighbouring Afghanistan for security. But the Pakistani intelligence agencies are now hunting them down there.
After the incident on Sunday, Bashir Zeb Baloch, a pro-independence leader and head of the Baloch Liberation Army took to the Twitter saying “Unfortunately, the international powers continue to opt for criminal silence on these brutalities.”