Bomb explosion kills 5 army troops in SW Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least five Pakistani army troops were killed in a bomb explosion in the southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, the military said.

The bombing – the second in a day – took place in the remote Kahan region of the mineral-rich province, during a security operation against suspected militants, the army said in a statement.

The deceased included an army captain.

Earlier in the day, an army troop was killed and two others were injured in a clash with suspected militants who were trying to trickle into Pakistan from neighboring Afghanistan.

"Security forces remain determined to challenge their nefarious designs, even at the cost of blood and lives," the military said in a statement, adding that the "sanitization operation continues in the area to apprehend the perpetrators."

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

The large Balochistan province is strategically important due to its rich copper, zinc, and natural gas reserves.

The province has long been a hotbed of violence, with Baloch separatists and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a conglomerate of several militant groups in Pakistan, have been active in the region.