A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol killed four schoolchildren and two other civilians on Friday in Mastung, a town in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province. The attack, which occurred early in the morning as children were being transported to school, also left at least 16 others injured, most of whom were children, according to local police official Ali Ahmed.
The bomb, reportedly planted on a motorbike near a girls’ school, exploded as a school van passed by, striking both the van and the police patrol vehicle, provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind said. Among the fatalities were a police officer and a civilian.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and called for swift action to apprehend those responsible, according to a statement from his office.
Mastung, a mountainous town near Quetta, has been a stronghold for Islamist militants, including factions of the Islamic State and the Pakistani Taliban. The Balochistan province, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran, has experienced a significant increase in violence in recent months, driven by both Islamist insurgents and separatist movements.
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