8 killed in explosion in SW Pakistan ahead of general elections

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least eight people were killed and several others injured in an explosion near an election office in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, in a sign of escalating violence ahead of a high-stake national vote.

The blast, the latest in a string of poll-related violence, took place in the Pishin district of southwestern Balochistan province only a day before elections, the district’s Deputy Commissioner Juma Dad told reporters.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Nearly four dozen people, including 24 suspected militants and 14 security personnel, have been killed in a series of attacks in Balochistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in less than two weeks.