Islamabad [Pakistan] September 18 : The Baloch Yajehti Committee (BYC) on Thursday alleged that Pakistani military aircraft and drones carried out air strikes on civilian homes in Zehri, Khuzdar district of Balochistan, killing three people and injuring five others.
According to BYC, the attack took place at 8 pm on September 17 in Dhaak Zehri, Terasani (Qazib), when a residential house was hit. The victims were identified as 40-year-old Bibi Amina, 41-year-old Lal Bibi, and 30-year-old Muhammad Hassan. Those injured included a 4-year-old child and two elderly men.
The organisation described the use of fighter jets and drones on civilian populations as a "grave violation of international humanitarian law."
"This is not an isolated case. In the last two months alone, Zehri has witnessed at least three separate incidents of aerial bombardment and drone strikes by Pakistani forces," it said.
The BYC further noted that residents reported that drones continued to hover over the area following the strike, creating fear and trauma among families.
BYC claimed that the Pakistani military's media wing, ISPR, attempted to justify the killings by labelling the victims as insurgents, "a narrative often used to cover up state-perpetrated atrocities against the Baloch people."
The group further said that Khuzdar district has been under a continuous internet shutdown for months, which, along with restrictions on independent media, has prevented the outside world from learning about the crisis.
"For months, the entire district of Khuzdar, including Zehri, has been under a complete internet shutdown. This deliberate communication blackout prevents the outside world from learning about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Balochistan. The lack of independent media access allows the Pakistani state to commit atrocities with impunity, silencing the voices of survivors and the families of victims," the statement said.
"This systematic targeting of civilians amounts to a war crime and forms part of the larger Baloch genocide," the statement added.
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