3 killed as army patrol attacked in Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Three soldiers were killed and two injured in a roadside bomb blast in southwest Pakistan on Thursday, the army said.

An improvised explosive device was detonated as the patrol’s vehicle passed in the remote Awaran district of Balochistan province, where separatists have been fighting for the independence of the mineral-rich region.

No group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack.

Thousands have been killed in a low-intensity insurgency that has been going on for six decades. The province has gained added importance in recent months as it is at the Pakistan end of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.