Karachi, May 9 (PTI) At least six security personnel, including an Army major, were killed when a roadside bomb struck a patrol vehicle in southwestern Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, close to the border with Iran.

The Army on Friday said in a statement that a vehicle of paramilitary Frontier Corps was targeted through a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) in Kech district's Buleda area, about 14 km from the Iran border.

“A major and five soldiers were killed while one soldier was injured,” according to the Army.

Baloch militants on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in a statement said the roadside bomb was planted by its operatives and it will “continue its struggle until the establishment of an independent homeland and a free society".

BLA is a banned entity in Pakistan. It was also declared a terrorist group by the US in 2019.

Security sources said the route where the explosion took place was monitored round the clock because of suspected movement by smugglers and insurgents in the border area.

A search operation was launched by the security forces in the area to trace the elements involved in the attack.

It is the first major attack on the forces in Balochistan since the outbreak of COVID-19.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)