Seven miners working for a private copper mining company were abducted by armed men in Balochistan’s Chagai district on Wednesday. Officials said the incident occurred in the Mahian Kaur area.
The attackers reportedly arrived at the mining site on motorcycles and entered the workers’ camp. They held the miners at gunpoint before taking them away from the area.
The incident has raised fresh security concerns in Balochistan. It also follows another deadly abduction involving labourers in the province last month.
Armed Men Raid Mining Camp in Chagai
According to company officials, eight armed men arrived at the site on motorcycles. They entered the workers’ camp and took the miners hostage at gunpoint.
The attackers reportedly remained at the location for around seven hours. During that time, they seized equipment and weapons belonging to security guards.
The assailants also took several other items from the camp before leaving with seven miners. Their current whereabouts remain unknown.
Sources at the mine said the attackers took vehicles, including a Zamyad truck and a four-wheel-drive pickup.
They also reportedly seized more than 20 solar panels, a motorcycle, bedding and kitchen equipment. The losses have added to concerns surrounding security at remote mining sites.
Three Gilgit Workers Among Abducted Miners
The abducted workers included three labourers from Gilgit. They were identified as Wajahat, Wajid Shahid and Sabir.
Four other workers were local residents. They included Ziauddin from Dalbandin, Shah Saleem from Mahian, Chagai, and Saeed Muhammad from Mahian.
The identity of the fourth local worker was not immediately available.
Authorities have yet to provide further details about the miners’ whereabouts or the identity of the armed group. The incident has prompted renewed concern over the safety of workers in remote parts of Balochistan.
Chagai Abduction Follows Deadly Labourer Attack
The latest incident comes less than a month after another group of labourers faced abduction in Balochistan.
Seven workers were kidnapped by unidentified armed men after the attackers blocked the Turbat-Mand Road in Kalatak, located in Kech district.
The incident ended in tragedy for all seven workers. One labourer was killed at the scene during the initial abduction.
Later, authorities recovered the bullet-riddled bodies of six other abducted workers from Nasirabad in Turbat on July 30, 2026.
The deaths brought the total number of fatalities from that incident to seven. The latest kidnapping has therefore intensified concerns about security risks facing workers across Balochistan.
Authorities are expected to investigate the Chagai incident and work to locate the seven missing miners. Further developments could provide more information about the attackers and the condition of the abducted workers.
