QUETTA: Unknown armed men gunned down four coal minors and injured three others at a coal mine in Khust area of the Harnai district on Monday.

According to Levies sources, the victims were working in the coal mine when armed assailants came there and opened fire at them.

Later, gunmen set fire to the coal mines and burnt eleven coal mines in the area and fled from the scene.

As a result, four colliers died on the spot while three others sustained injuries.

The bodies and the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where the injured victim’s treatment was started.

The bodies were identified as Noor Khan, Abudl Hanan, Syed Hanan and Abdul Rehman while the injured included Shair Zaman, Syed Akram and Baz Muhammad.

The bodies of the deceased were handed over to the heirs after the completion of medico-legal formalities.

Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) reached the site and cordoned off the entire area and started a search operation to arrest suspects involved in the incident.