Deadly blast strikes Pakistan's Balochistan amid surge in militant violence
The attack, which killed one person and wounded five, comes amid a years-long low-intensity insurgency by Baloch separatists who allege economic neglect of the province.
At least one person was killed and five others injured in an explosion in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, a police official said.
The blast occurred near Chainak Chowk in Sibi late on Thursday, an official at the District Police Officer’s office in the city told Anadolu over the phone.
“It was an improvised explosive device (IED) that targeted civilians in the area,” the official said on Friday.
Police and security forces swiftly cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to secure the site and collect evidence.
No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Rising militant attacks
Pakistan has seen a surge in terror attacks in recent years, particularly in the provinces of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan.
Mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but poorest province. Security forces have long faced a low-intensity insurgency from Baloch separatists, who claim the province has been denied major developments.
The province is also a key route for the $64 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which aims to connect China's strategically important northwestern Xinjiang province with Balochistan's Gwadar port via a network of roads, railways, and pipelines for cargo, oil, and gas transportation.