The coal miners were reportedly abducted at gunpoint and taken to a secluded area where they were killed

India on Friday condemned the killing of 11 coal miners in Pakistan’s Balochistan in a terror attack claimed by the Islamic State.

Addressing the media during the weekly briefing on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Official Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "We condemn this terrorist act. It is the responsibility of every country that they should protect their minorities and respect their basic human rights.”

On Sunday, unidentified gunmen stormed a coal mine in Machh town near Quetta. According to news reports, the coal miners were abducted at gunpoint and taken to a secluded area where they were killed.

It is believed they were kidnapped from their hostel located near a mine where they worked. The previous attack on members of the Hazara community was in April last year when a suicide bomb attack killed 18 people in a market.

After the deadly attack, a protest was held to condemn such terrorist attacks on the Shia Hazara community. The protest spread to several other cities including Karachi and Lahore, as family members of the victims refused to bury the dead.

There have been several rounds of negotiations with members of Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan’s cabinet, including Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, but to no avail.

The community has been subject to targeted suicide attacks and shootings, especially in Quetta, where the majority of the country’s Hazaras reside. As a result, the community has been restricted to residing within fortified enclaves on either side of the city since 2013 after deadly bombing incidents.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, The National Commission of Human Rights has estimated that over 2,000 Hazaras – adherents of the Shia Muslim sect – are easily targeted due to their facial features and killed in since 2004.