Bombing kills at least 11 Pakistani miners

A roadside bomb killed nearly a dozen people on Friday in southwest Pakistan, local officials told the Associated Press. The explosion struck a vehicle carrying coal miners in the southwestern Balochistan province rife with insurgents, according to regional reporting by Voice of America. The blast killed at least 11 people and injured at least five more.

The bodies of nine victims were recovered at the scene, and two more died later in the hospital, the Associated Press reported, citing hospital spokesman Wasim Baig. At least two of the five surviving victims were in critical condition, Baig added. Both national and provincial leaders condemned the explosion and ordered a full investigation to determine who was behind the attack.

What do we know about who caused the explosion? Statements reported by VOA from both Provincial Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blame the explosion on terrorists. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army previously launched similar attacks on security forces and workers for both public and private mining operations. However, no group has formally claimed responsibility for the bombing. Given Balochistan’s wealth of mineable minerals and oil, the region has experienced long-term insurgency from several separatist groups that target both government workers and civilians, the Associated Press noted.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on a similar attack on coal miners in the same region last October.