ISLAMABAD, Jan 14, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - At least five Pakistan soldiers were
killed when their vehicle was hit by a bomb blast following a clash with
militants in southwestern Balochistan province, the military said Sunday.

The incident happened Saturday in Kech district of the turbulent province,
where the military has been fighting a low-level insurgency for decades.

"Terrorists exploded an Improvised Explosive Device on a security forces'
vehicle, which was followed by an intense fire exchange," the military said
in a statement.

"During the operation, five brave soldiers, having fought gallantly,
sacrificed their lives and embraced Shahadat (martyrdom)," it added.

Three militants were also killed in the clash, it said.

The South Asian nation of more than 240 million people votes on February 8 in
a general election as it grapples with overlapping security, economic and
political crises.

No group has claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack, but ethnic Baloch
separatists have been waging an insurgency for years in the region, which is
also riven by Islamist and sectarian violence.

Balochistan is also a major part of a Beijing-backed multi-billion-dollar
infrastructure drive known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Baloch separatists have also previously claimed attacks on CPEC projects, and
thousands of Pakistan security personnel are deployed in the region to
counter the violence.