Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province near the Afghan border. The province has seen decades-long insurgency by separatists, who demand independence from Pakistan that they say exploit the state’s monopoly and the province’s mineral resources.
Quetta’s District Inspector General of Police, Azhar Akram, confirmed to CNN that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber and took place on Sunday morning at an outpost of Frontier Corp, a paramilitary force stationed within the city of Quetta.
The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the blast in a statement released to CNN.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the incident in a post on Twitter on Sunday.
“Condemn the TTP suicide attack on FC Checkpost, Mustang Road, Quetta. My thoughts are with the families of the martyrs and pray for the recovery of the injured. Their efforts to keep us safe by thwarting our security forces and foreign backed terrorists. Salute to the sacrifice. Design,” read the tweet.
He vowed to take control of Pakistan’s tribal border area, hinting that this would be eased with the departure of US forces and the Afghan Taliban in charge of Kabul. Three of his predecessors were killed in US drone strikes.
According to data published by the group, the number of TTP attacks in August was more than double the monthly average of the previous year.
Journalist Aseem Khan reports from Quetta with Sofia Saifi in Islamabad. CNN’s Nick Robertson contributed reporting this story.