Roadside Bomb Kills 13 In Southwest Pakistan

A roadside bomb killed 11 security personnel and two civilians on Thursday in southwestern Pakistan where separatist rebels have for decades been battling to control the region’s natural gas and other resources.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bomb in the city of Quetta. It was planted in a three-wheeled auto-rickshaw and blew up as a truck carrying the security men passed by.

Sixteen people were wounded and the death toll could rise, said police in the city, which is capital of Baluchistan province.

Ethnic Baluch separatists opposed Pakistan’s May 11 general election. The have fought a low-key insurgency for decades against what they say is the unfair exploitation of their province’s resources by richer and more powerful provinces.

The rebels attacks gas pipelines, infrastructure and the security forces. They have no connection with Islamist militants also battling the Pakistani state, who are based mostly in the northwest.

It was the second major attack since the election which marked the first transition between civilian governments in Pakistan’s turbulent history after a campaign marred by deadly attacks on election rallies.

Separately, four security personnel were killed and 16 wounded in a militant attack on a security checkpost in Pakistan’s northwest bordering Afghanistan. Security officials said 12 militants were killed and seven wounded.

Reuters