Blast in Balochistan claims five, wounds five

Balochistan: A bomb went off near Sibi town of Balochistan on Friday evening, killing five people and injuring another five, Dawn reported.

The roadside bomb that exploded in the Tandori area targeted a pickup truck ferrying labourers. The killed labourers, who belong to Punjab, were working on a water pipeline project in the Tandori area, said a security official.

Sayed Zahid Shah, the Deputy Commissioner of Sibi, confirmed the attack. The explosion was massive and fatal, he added. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

For decades, Balochistan has been battered by the attacks of various insurgent groups claiming more autonomy in the region, especially over the rich resources of gas and oil.

The apathy of successive governments towards taking actions against trafficking and forced disappearances, despite their respective promises, had led to the increase in the number of such incidents.

The number of frequent face-offs between the Pakistan security forces and Baloch militants has escalated recently. A recent attack of the Baloch separatist groups occurred in the border region with Iran and closer to Quetta, the province's capital.