ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A Pakistani soldier and 16 bystanders were killed Thursday in the southwestern province of Baluchistan in an apparent terrorist attack, police said.
Unidentified attackers threw an explosive device at a paramilitary vehicle in Baluchistan's Khuzdar area.
Baluchistan borders Afghanistan's Kandahar province, a stronghold of the Taliban and al-Qaida fugitives. Many of the fugitives are also believed to have fled to Baluchistan where they receive support from local religious extremists.
Baluchistan has suffered recent sectarian violence caused by an increasing hostility between Islam's two main sects, Sunni and Shiite. The area is also home to Baloch nationalists seeking autonomy and a greater share of resources.
