Four labourers belonging to Punjab and a policeman were shot dead in an armed attack by unknown assailants on a police station in Nasirabad area of Turbat in Balochistan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

According to police, the labourers, who were residents of Muzaffargarh, were building a protective bund near the Nasirabad police station. At night, they were sleeping on the roof of the police station building when some 20 to 25 armed men stormed the police station and opened fire. As a result, four Punjabi workers and a policeman (who was standing guard) were killed. While a labourer was injured, and another succeeded in escaping the attack taking advantage of the darkness.

The dead bodies were shifted to a local hospital.

Police have started a search operation in the area and are collecting evidence to hunt down the assailants.

Interim Balochistan Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki condemned the incident of terrorism and expressed his grievance over the death of five persons including a police official. He said no religion in the world allows terrorism. He asked the law enforcement authorities to bring the elements involved in this act of terrorism to book.

The chief minister said that the tradition of Balochistan is hospitality and not taking the life of a guest who comes here to work. He said anti-peace elements are also enemies of our tradition.

Another incident of a similar nature also occurred on October 14 when six Punjabi labourers were shot dead and two others were injured by unknown persons.

The armed persons barged into the house of a local contractor and opened fire on the labourers, killing six of them on the spot and injuring another two.

The contractor had hired the labourers who belonged to different areas of Punjab. Two local officials said the attack took place in Turbat city -- 120 kilometres east of the border with Iran -- where ethnic Punjabi labourers were constructing a private residence.

Reporter Isa Tareen