Two workers killed, five injured in Pasni clash with Coast Guards

GWADAR: At least two workers were killed and five others injured in a violent confrontation between Pakistan Coast Guards personnel and workers in the Machin Kapar (Kuntani) area of Pasni, near the Pak-Iran border.

The clash took place amid heightened tension in the area after an attack two days earlier in the same locality, when unidentified armed men travelling on a speedboat targeted a Pakistan Coast Guards patrol and killed two personnel.

Following that attack, the Pakistan Coast Guards suspended all business activity through Kuntani port for an indefinite period, citing security concerns.

Tensions escalated over check post and business activity

According to local sources, the situation worsened on Monday morning when Coast Guards personnel moved to set up a permanent check post in Machin Kapar. Workers linked to the Iranian oil trade, many of them belonging to different districts of Sindh and Balochistan, reportedly attempted to restart their business operations despite the restrictions already in place.

The standoff first led to a heated exchange before turning violent, the sources said. Witnesses reported that firing occurred during the confrontation.

The incident left two workers dead and five others wounded. The clash occurred in an area already under strain after the earlier deadly attack on the Coast Guards patrol.

Area remained tense after earlier attack

The latest violence came as security concerns remained high in the Kuntani area near Pasni. The earlier attack by unidentified assailants on a speedboat had prompted the Coast Guards to halt commercial activity through the port indefinitely.

Local sources said the workers involved in the latest clash were associated with cross-border oil-related trade connected to Iran. Many of them were from various parts of Sindh and Balochistan.

The confrontation unfolded when those workers reportedly sought to resume activity in spite of the suspension, while Coast Guards personnel were attempting to establish a permanent presence through a check post in Machin Kapar.

Witnesses said the exchange escalated from verbal arguments into violence, during which firing was reported. No further official details were provided in the report about the circumstances of the shooting or the identities of the dead and injured.

The incident underscores the tense security situation in the Pasni area following the recent attack on law enforcement personnel and the subsequent restrictions imposed at Kuntani port.