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At least 10 people, including a Turkish national, were killed and another Turkish citizen was abducted after terrorists attacked a copper and gold mining project in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said Thursday.
About 40 terrorists on motorcycles and other vehicles attacked the mining project site of Pakistani company National Resources Private Limited in the Darigwan area of Chagai district on Wednesday.
A local administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said at least 10 people were killed in the attack.
"At least 10 people were killed in the incident, including a Turkish national, six workers, and three guards," the official told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The same official said another Turkish national was abducted during the attack.
According to the local official, the Turkish national and three guards were killed when a fuel tanker at the mine exploded during the assault.
A police official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the details of the attack to AFP and said eight people were wounded.
The company acknowledged the attack late Wednesday, saying security forces responded "promptly and have secured the area," but it did not provide details on casualties.
The dead and wounded were taken to a government hospital in nearby Dalbandin, AFP journalists reported.
One injured man's feet and left arm were bandaged, while his clothes were ripped and blackened.
Hospital official Nasir Khan confirmed the death toll.
"We have 10 dead bodies here," he told AFP. "Some had gunshot wounds. Others were burned."
He said two of the wounded were seriously injured, with one hit by shrapnel and the other suffering extensive burns.
The local official said one Turkish national and two South Africans were safely evacuated from the attack site.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault.
Local ethnic separatist groups have intensified attacks in the region in recent years, including on mining projects.
Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province by land area and its poorest. It trails the rest of the country on indicators including education, employment and economic development.
Baloch separatists accuse the Pakistani government of exploiting the province's natural gas and mineral wealth without benefiting the local population.
The Baloch Liberation Army, described as the province's most active armed separatist group, launched coordinated attacks across the region in February that killed more than 190 people.
Separatists have also killed workers in the past based on ethnicity, targeting Punjabis and Sindhis and accusing them of being outsiders to the province.
National Resources Private Limited said 90% of its workforce consisted of local workers.
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