Suicide bombers storm police compound in SW Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Three suicide bombers stormed a police compound in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday morning, killing one policeman and injuring two others, said officials.

The militants, wearing suicide vests, stormed the compound in the remote Loralai district in Balochistan, said Inter-Services Public Relations, the Pakistani military’s media wing.

One militant was killed by police at the entrance, but the other two managed to enter the compound premises. One was killed, and the other detonated his suicide vest.

In a statement, Jam Kamal, Balochistan’s chief minister, condemned the attack, saying security forces acted swiftly and foiled the terrorist attempt.

In a statement, Mohammad Khurasani, a purported spokesperson of the Pakistani Taliban's mother coalition, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of similar incidents in the mineral-rich province in recent years.

The large Balochistan province, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is strategically important due to the presence of copper, zinc, and natural gas, but has been beset by violence for over six decades.

The province is also a key route of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) -- a part of Beijing's ambitious One Belt, One Road project.

Various sectarian outfits, including the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, have also been active in the region for the last decade, especially in Quetta.