Roadside bomb kills 3 people in Pakistan's insurgency-hit Balochistan

A vehicle damaged in an IED blast in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province's district Kech on November 19, 2023. (Photo courtesy: District Administration Kech)
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  • Police say bomb was planted on dirt road in Balgatar area of Kech district
  • No group has claimed responsibility for the blast, which killed two brothers

QUETTA, Pakistan: A roadside bomb exploded, killing three people in insurgency-hit southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, police said.

Police officer Mohammad Rahim said the bomb was planted on a dirt road in Balgatar area of Kech district and was detonated remotely. Three men, two of whom were brothers, were killed while on their way to a family gathering, and a privately owned car was destroyed, he said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast but suspicion falls on Baloch nationalists turned separatist groups who have been involved in low-level insurgency for over two decades in the gas and mineral-rich province. The groups have been calling for independence from the central government in Islamabad.

Kech district and surrounding areas have suffered from insurgency for years. Insurgent groups have claimed responsibility for attacks on security forces and civilian targets in recent months.