Five killed, 5 injured in Balochistan's blast

BALOCHISTAN: Five people were killed and five other suffered injuries in a blast near Sibi town of Balochistan, Dawn reported on Saturday citing official sources.

The blast occurred on Friday evening in The Tandori area. The labourers were travelling in a pickup truck which was targeted by the roadside bomb.

Deputy Commissioner of Sibi Syed Zahid Shah confirmed the incident, saying that the blast was very powerful.

The deceased labourers, who were going to Tandori to work on a water pipeline project in the area, belonged to Punjab, a security official said.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.

Balochistan is a resource-rich but least developed province of Pakistan where a movement for freedom is ongoing for the past several decades. Many Baloch believe that the region was independent before 1947 and was forcibly occupied by Pakistan.

While successive governments have promised to criminalise enforced disappearance, none has taken concrete steps and the practice continues with impunity.

Recently, fighting between the Pakistan security forces and Baloch insurgents have intensified in the region.

Baloch militants' recent attacks have taken place in the border region with Iran and also closer to the province's capital, Quetta.