Armed Attack on Pakistan Gold-Copper Mine Leaves Nine Dead

(MENAFN) At least nine people lost their lives Wednesday evening when unidentified armed assailants stormed a mining project site in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province, local officials confirmed.

The assault targeted a copper and gold project in Chagai district, according to Dawn, which cited a statement from National Resources Limited in its Thursday reporting.

National Resources Limited stated that security forces, including the Frontier Corps, mounted a rapid response — securing the perimeter and launching a clearance operation in the aftermath of the attack.

The company's initial statement made no mention of casualties, but local authorities subsequently confirmed the true scale of the human toll.

"At least nine employees, including two security guards, were killed," a senior Chagai administration official said on condition of anonymity.

Police officials independently corroborated both the attack and the reported death toll, lending further weight to the casualty figures.

National Resources Limited said it is maintaining close coordination with relevant authorities in the wake of the assault, stressing that employee welfare and operational security remain its foremost priorities — a statement that came as the full circumstances of the attack remained under investigation and no group had yet claimed responsibility.

Armed attacks on infrastructure and resource extraction projects have been a recurring security challenge in Balochistan, where militant groups have long operated across the province's remote terrain.

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