The remains of eight Pakistani citizens who were deadly shot in Iran’s Sistan province earlier this week were flown back to Pakistan in the early hours on Thursday.

According to sources, a special plane landed the bodies of Bahawalpur Airport around 10 p.m.

The deceased was subsequently moved by ambulance to their hometowns for final rituals. Seven of the victims were from Khanqah Sharif in Bahawalpur while from Shujaabad in the Multan district.

There were strict security schemes in place at Bahawalpur Airport, where district management officials, rescue teams and security staff were deployed to manage the reception.

Senior officials, including the Bahawalpur Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, were present at the airport to oversee the events and offer condolences to the deprived families.

The victims had worked as a vehicle mechanics in the Mehrestan district, located about 230 kilometers from the border between Pakistan-Iran. On April 12, unidentified gunmen entered the workshop and opened fire and killed all eight.

Pakistan’s government condemned severely attacked and has formally called on the Iranian authorities to understand the perpetrators and ensure that they are brought to court.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif noticed the incident an “barbaric act of terror” and called on Iranian officials to reveal the motives behind the attack and prosecute those involved.

Iran’s Sistan-Balochistan region has long experienced unrest, with frequent clashes involving separatist elements, drug smugglers and security forces.