Deadly attack on Chagai Gold and Copper Mining Project leaves 10 Dead, including Turkish National
Police report private security guards stationed at the site put up resistance, leading to a heavy exchange of fire
A deadly armed attack took place on Wednesday evening at a copper and gold mining project in the Chagai district of Balochistan, resulting in the deaths of ten people, including a foreign national from Turkey. The incident has raised serious security concerns in the mineral-rich but volatile region.
According to officials from the operating company, National Resources Limited (NRL), the assault targeted their mining site located in the Darigun area, which lies around 120 kilometres from Dalbandin. The attack occurred at approximately 5:45 PM when unidentified armed men stormed the facility.
In an official statement, the company confirmed the timeline of the incident and stated that the attackers launched a coordinated assault on the site. Soon after the attack began, personnel from the Frontier Corps (FC) and other security forces were immediately deployed to the area and established a security cordon to contain the situation.
Police officials reported that private security guards stationed at the mining site attempted to resist the attackers. This led to a heavy exchange of gunfire between both sides. During the assault, the attackers also used rockets and set fire to critical equipment at the facility.
Authorities further revealed that the armed assailants torched drilling machinery, generators, and other essential operational equipment used in mining activities. The violence escalated further when a fuel storage tank at the site was hit, triggering a massive explosion. As a result of the blast, several employees working at the site were burned to death.
After carrying out the attack, the assailants managed to escape from the area. Reports indicate that they also took multiple vehicles from the site while fleeing.
Following the incident, rescue teams and security forces shifted the deceased and injured individuals to Prince Fahd Hospital in Dalbandin for medical treatment and identification. Hospital sources confirmed that the victims belonged to different regions of Pakistan, including Bela, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), along with local workers from Balochistan. Among those killed was Omer, a Turkish national working at the site.
In response to the attack, security forces launched a large-scale search and clearance operation in the surrounding rugged terrain to track down the attackers and secure the area. The mining company stated that it is in close coordination with law enforcement agencies and security forces to ensure the protection of its remaining staff and safeguard its installations.
The incident highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by industrial and mining operations in remote parts of Balochistan.