Roadside bombing kills 7 in Pakistan's southwest

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least seven people were killed in a remote-controlled blast in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Monday night, police and local media reported.

The incident took place in the remote Kech district located some 772 kilometers (480 miles) from the provincial capital Quetta.

The explosion targeted a vehicle, killing all seven people onboard, including a local politician. The victims were on their way after attending a wedding ceremony in a nearby village.

The bomb, planted along the road, was detonated through remote control, local broadcaster Samaa News reported, citing security officials.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a string of bombings in the violence-hit province.

Pakistan’s largest province in size, Balochistan borders neighboring Iran and Afghanistan and is strategically important due to its rich copper, zinc, and natural gas reserves.

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