At least four policemen were killed and 11 other people got injured in a bomb blast near a mosque in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Monday. The explosion in the provincial capital Quetta's Satellite Town area occurred when people were assembling for prayers near the mosque.
The bomb was apparently planted on a motorcycle, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Police Abdul Razzaq Cheema said. "Four policemen were killed," he said as quoted by a news agency.
Another 11 people were injured in the attack, Provincial Home Minister Ziaullah Langov said.
Security forces cordoned off the area. There has been a sudden spike in violence in Balochistan in recent weeks.
Forces have been on high alert during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with extra security set up at major sites around the country.
In an emailed statement, Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the blast. The attack came two days after a terrorist attack on a luxury hotel in the coastal town of Gwadar in which five people were killed while security forces gunned down the three terrorists who stormed the facility.
(With inputs from agencies)
