At least four political workers were killed and 13 injured in a bomb blast in Pakistan's restive south-western province of Balochistan, officials said late on Thursday.
The explosion occurred as the workers from an Islamist party were leaving a venue after a conference in the provincial capital of Quetta, which is home to several insurgent groups.
"At least four political workers were killed and 13 others injured," said Fida Hassan Shah, a senior police official.
"It was an improvised explosive device and some 1.5 kilograms of explosive was used."
Javed Akhtar, an official with Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta, confirmed the death toll.
Pakistan is fighting several low-level insurgencies in the impoverished province, waged by religious, separatist and sectarian groups.
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An Afghan family poses for a photo in Kabul after trying to go to Pakistan, only to be forced to turn back. They believe there is no place for them under the Taliban and sold their property to fund their attempted move. Photo: AP -
Afghan girls seek shelter at makeshift tents near a railway station in Chaman, Pakistan, after fleeing across the border. Photo: Reuters -
People wait to cross the Pakistani-Afghan border, which was closed by the Taliban after they returned to power in Kabul. Photo: EPA -
Afghans have been stopped from crossing into Pakistan since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Photo: EPA -
Taliban restrictions at the border have affected ordinary Afghan civilians, as well as those seeking medical care in Pakistan. Photo: EPA -
Lorries carrying food aid donated by the Pakistan government wait to cross into Afghanistan at the Chaman border. Photo: EPA -
People gather on the Pakistani side of Chaman border crossing. Photo: AFP -
Large crowds have become common at the border since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Photo: AFP -
An Afghan woman has her temperature checked at a proof of registration drive at the UN refugee agency's office in Peshawar, Pakistan. Photo: Reuters -
People wait to enter Pakistan at the Spin Boldak border crossing in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar. Photo: AFP -
Afghans gather at the Spin Boldak crossing after the Taliban stopped them from entering Pakistan. Photo: AFP -
Taliban members patrol at the Spin Boldak border crossing as people try to enter Pakistan. Photo: AFP
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which the Chief Minister of the province, Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, called an "act of terrorism".
Balochistan is Pakistan's largest and poorest province, despite being rich in natural resources.
Billions of dollars have been flowing into the region through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, but locals say most new jobs from investments went to outsiders.
