Suicide bombing kills 9 paramilitary troops in southwest Pakistan: Official

At least 9 paramilitary troops were killed and seven others injured in a suicide bombing in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Monday, an official said.

The bombing, the latest in a string of attacks on security forces, took place near the Sibbi district, targeting a vehicle of Balochistan Constabulary, a paramilitary force, Farah Azeem, a spokeswoman for the Balochistan government, told Anadolu.

The suspected bomber rammed his motorbike into a truck carrying paramilitary troops, who were deputed for the security of a traditional annual festival, commonly known as " Sibi Mela", which culminated on Sunday, Azeem said.

The paramilitary troops were deputed for the security of a traditional annual festival, commonly known as " Sibi Mela", which culminated on Sunday, she added.

The death toll is expected to rise as several injured are stated to be in critical condition, she said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in Qatar, condemned the bombing, directing the security agencies to use all possible means to bring the culprits to justice.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but ethnic Baloch separatists and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a conglomerate of several militant groups in Pakistan, have long been targeting the security forces in the region.

The province is also a key route of the $64-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, which aims to connect China's strategically important northwestern Xinxiang province to Balochistan’s Gawadar port through a network of roads, railways, and pipelines for cargo, oil, and gas transportation.