Three Balochistan Constabulary officers killed in blast in southwest Pakistan
The bus was carrying around 40 police officers when it was hit by the blast in Balochistan's Mastung district, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the provincial capital Quetta, local administration official Raja Muhammad Akram told media.
Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the provincial government, said the vehicle was returning from Kalat when it was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED).
'Three personnel of the Balochistan Constabulary were martyred in the blast,' he added.
Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, where militants target state forces, foreign nationals, and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran. The separatists seek independence from the Pakistani state.
Although Pakistani authorities say they have quelled the insurgency, violence in Balochistan has persisted.
No group has claimed Tuesday morning's attack. However, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is the most active group in the region and often carries out deadly attacks against security forces.
Last month, ethnic Baloch separatists attacked a train with 450 passengers on board, sparking a two-day siege during which dozens of people were killed.
More than 200 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.
Last year was the deadliest year in a decade in Pakistan, following a trend of rising militancy since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement, denounced Tuesday's attack and vowed to continue the 'fight against terrorism' until its eradication.
With inputs from AFP
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