Pak Army major among six killed in roadside bomb attack

At least six security personnel, including an Army major, were killed when a roadside bomb struck a patrol vehicle in southwestern Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, close to the border with Iran. The Army on Friday said in a statement that a vehicle of paramilitary Frontier Corps was targeted through a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) in Kech district's Buleda area, about 14 km from the Iran border.

"A major and five soldiers were killed while one soldier was injured," according to the Army. No one took responsibility but Baloch militants often target the security forces in the province.

Security sources said the route where the explosion took place was monitored round the clock because of suspected movement by smugglers and insurgents in the border area. A search operation was launched by the security forces in the area to trace the elements involved in the attack.

It is the first major attack on the forces in Balochistan since the outbreak of COVID-19.