Recruitment test in Balochistan ends with terrorist attack; death toll at 5

Five people, including four policemen, were killed and 25 others injured Tuesday when terrorists attacked the Deputy Inspector General's office in the restive south-west Pakistani province of Balochistan. The attack took place when a written examination, held by the police to recruit new personnel, was being conducted at the IGP office in Loralai in the troubled region.

"The terrorists attacked the office premises when a recruitment test for police clerks was underway," Inspector General of Police, Balochistan Mohsin Hassan Butt told reporters. "Four police officials and a civilian were killed in the gun battle which lasted for several hours," he said, adding no group has claimed the responsibility of the attack.

Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langov said that the two militants, who carried out the attack, were killed by the security forces in the counter operation. It took around eight hours to security forces to kill the terrorists and clear the premises, the Radio Pakistan reported.

Most of the injured were admitted to the Loralai Civil Hospital while some of the seriously injured were referred to the Combined Military Hospital in the provincial capital Quetta, a senior doctor of the Civil Hospital Fahim Otmankhail Kakar told reporters. He said following the attack, five bodies and 25 injured were brought to the hospital.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan condemned the attack and ordered a probe. no group has claimed the responsibility, but Baloch nationalists carry out such attacks.

The attack comes a day after the government announced raising of a 50,000-strong special security force to ensure unhindered exploration of oil and gas in the remote areas of Balochistan which has witnessed violence from the separatists and militants. In an attack on January 1, four security personnel were killed when terrorists tried to storm the Frontier Corps training centre in the province. Four terrorists were also killed in the gunfight.