Gunmen have shot and killed nine men after abducting them from a bus in a troubled province in southwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan and Iran, officials say.
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No one has claimed responsibility for the Friday night attack in Balochistan province in Pakistan's southwest.
Separatist ethnic Baloch militant groups in the mineral-rich region have been fighting against the state for decades, saying it denies them their share of regional resources.
Several gunmen intercepted the Iran-bound bus in Noshki district, taking the nine men with them after determining they were from the eastern province of Punjab, police officer Abdullah Mengal said.
"All of them were travelling to Taftan," he said, adding they were shot at close range.
District deputy commissioner Habibullah Musakhail said their bodies were found beneath a bridge.
Ethnic Baloch insurgents have previously claimed responsibility for similar killings in the region, which is home to the deepwater Gwadar seaport being developed by neighbouring China.
The insurgents have also targeted Chinese nationals and their interests.
Beijing has invested heavily in regional development projects as part of its $US65 billion ($A100 billion) pledge under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Australian Associated Press
