Pakistan separatist militants BLA deny involvement in attack on mines

KARACHI (Reuters) - The Baloch Liberation Army, a militant separatist group in Pakistan, denied involvement in an attack that killed at least 21 mine workers, condemning the violence.

Dozens of attackers stormed a cluster of small private coal mines in Pakistan's restive southwest on Friday with guns, rockets and hand grenades, killing some miners in their sleep and shooting others after lining them up.

"Baloch Liberation Army condemns the massacre of 21 Pashtun workers in Dukki, making it clear that our organization has no involvement in this tragic incident," the BLA said in an email late on Saturday.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the mines of the Junaid Coal Co in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan that borders Afghanistan and Iran.

It was the worst such attack in weeks and comes days before Pakistan hosts a summit of the Eurasian group Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

A decades-long insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region, pressing demands for a share in mineral-rich resources.

Besides the separatists, the region is also home to Islamist militants, who have resurged since 2022 after revoking a ceasefire with the government. 

The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the South Asian nation's government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources. 

The province is home to key mining projects, including Reko Diq, run by giant Barrick Gold and believed to be one of the world's largest gold and copper mines. China also operates a gold and copper mine in the province.

At the time of the attack, a delegation from Saudi Arabia, which says it is set to buy a stake in the Reko Diq mine, was in Islamabad exploring deals as Pakistan seeks to recover from an economic crisis.

(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam in Islamabad; Writing by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by William Mallard)