A Pakistani military drone strike in Balochistan’s Zehri tehsil of Khuzdar district killed three people, including two women, and injured five others on Wednesday night.
Local sources said one of the injured, Ali Akbar, was later taken into custody by Pakistani forces.
The attack took place near Tarasani, where the victims had gathered outside a home. Those killed were identified as 40-year-old Bibi Amna, wife of Sanaullah; 41-year-old Lal Bibi, wife of Ali Akbar; and 30-year-old Muhammad Hassan, son of Muhammad Yaqoob.
Local sources said the injured were initially being transferred to hospital. But near Anjeera Cross, Frontier Corps personnel intercepted the convoy and took the injured into their custody.
According to sources, Sanaullah and his four-year-old son were shifted to Surab, two other injured were transferred to Quetta, while Ali Akbar was taken to an undisclosed location.
The Pakistani military confirmed the drone strike, claiming it targeted members of a Baloch armed group and that weapons and explosives were recovered. It gave no names or further details. Residents and rights groups, however, disputed the claim, saying civilians were among the dead.
The Baloch Students Organization Azad (BSO-Azad) condemned the attack, calling it part of “ongoing war crimes in occupied Balochistan.”
Its spokesperson said the strike on civilians in Zehri was an attempt by the Pakistani military to “cover up its failures” and a “clear sign of its defeat.” The group added that despite “atrocities and war crimes,” the Baloch nation would “never abandon its struggle for national freedom.”