QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A roadside bomb focusing on a police automobile in risky southwestern Pakistan on Monday killed at the very least 4 individuals and wounded 15 others, largely civilian pedestrians, a authorities spokesperson mentioned.
The assault occurred in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, mentioned Babar Yousafzai, a spokesman for the provincial authorities. He mentioned the useless included two officers and two civilians.
No one instantly claimed duty for the assault, however suspicion fell on the Pakistani Taliban, who’ve stepped up assaults throughout the nation since November after they ended a monthslong cease-fire with the federal government.
Pakistan has additionally been battling an insurgency in Baluchistan for greater than a decade, with separatists within the province demanding full autonomy or a bigger share of the province’s gasoline and mineral sources.
In a press release, provincial chief minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo condemned the assault and ordered authorities to offer the very best medical care to the wounded.
The Pakistani Taliban, who’re referred to as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, have claimed earlier such assaults in Baluchistan and elsewhere. The militant group is separate from, however allied with, the Afghan Taliban.
The newest assault comes a day after the TTP shot and killed two cops in Quetta. One of the assailants was additionally killed when police returned fireplace after coming beneath assault within the metropolis Sunday evening.
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