Powerful bomb explosion claims 40 lives in southwestern Pakistan

A powerful explosion near a police station in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta has claimed at least 40 lives and injured several others, security sources say.

The Thursday explosion in the provincial capital city of Balochistan Province targeted the funeral of a police officer who was killed in a firing incident the previous day.

Several high-ranking police officials attending the funeral were killed in the fatal blast which also caused more than 50 injuries.

The explosion was the worst such attack on security forces in the volatile region since the May national elections installed a new government.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police officials lay the blame on pro-Taliban militants or some Baloch insurgent groups, who have carried out similar assaults in the past.

The attack comes two days after a group of heavily-armed gunmen opened fire on passenger buses at a fake checkpoint in the province, killing at least 14 people and injuring several others.

In the past few months, militants have destroyed dozens of gas pipelines and power towers in different parts of Balochistan.

Some Baloch militant groups say they want greater political autonomy and a share of the province’s natural resources.

Militants have carried out numerous attacks against security forces as well as civilians and managed to spread their influence in various regions of the country, despite frequent offensives by the Pakistani army.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001, when Pakistan entered an alliance with the US in the so-called war on terrorism.