Afghanistan asks Pakistan to send back bodies of 3 Afghans killed in Mach massacre

Afghanistan has asked Pakistan to transfer the bodies of three Afghan citizens who were killed by unidentified attackers in the Mach coal field area.

In a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan said that among the 11 victims of the attack on Sunday, seven are Afghan citizens.

The letter said that the heirs of three martyrs have requested that their dead bodies be transferred to Afghanistan, DAWN reported. "Therefore, your esteemed office is kindly requested to contact the relevant authorities to grant permission for transferring the mentioned three corpses via the Chaman-Spin Boldak Corridor."

On Sunday, 11 coal miners belonging to the Shia Hazara community sleeping in their room were held at gunpoint and blindfolded before being executed by unidentified attackers in the Mach coal field area. The militant Islamic State group or Daesh has claimed responsibility for the killing.

Since the incident, the Shia Hazara community has been protesting in Quetta with the bodies of the victims, demanding the ouster of the provincial government and a judicial probe into the incident.

The community said they will not stop their protest unless Prime Minister Imran Khan visits them for negotiation so that practical steps be taken for the arrest of the killers.

The PM has assured the Hazaras that he will soon visit Quetta and offer his condolence to them personally. "I will come again very soon to offer prayers and condole with all the families personally. I will never betray my people's trust. Please bury your loved ones so their souls find peace," the PM tweeted.