Gunmen kill 10 workers linked to CPEC project in Balochistan

At least 10 workers have reportedly been killed and two others injured after unidentified gunmen opened fire on the labourers working on a multi-billion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road project in Balochistan on Saturday.

The attack came as Pakistan and China were signing several agreements aimed at boosting cooperation in different sectors on the sidelines of the Road and Belt Forum currently being held in Beijing on Saturday, reports Turkey's Anadolu news agency.

"10 labourers working on the Peshukan Ganz Road came under attack, as a result of which eight of them were killed, while two others sustained injuries. The victims belong to Noushero Feroz, Sindh," The Express Tribune quoted Deputy Commissioner Gwadar Naeem Bazai, as saying. So far, no terror group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The proposed CPEC is about 3,000-kilometre long and will consist of highways, railways and pipelines that will connect China's Xinjiang province to the rest of the world from the Gwadar port to Kashgar in China.

Baloch people and activists have been continuously and consistently protesting against the CPEC, alleging that Pakistan is only concerned about exploiting the resources of Balochistan for Beijing and its advantage.

Considered to be a part of China's One Belt, One Road initiative, the $46 billion CPEC will cover significant parts of Balochistan, Sindh and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).