Baluch militants attacked a Pakistani security convoy, killing at least five people, officials said, the latest in a series of attacks in troubled regions bordering Afghanistan.
The March 16 attack came days after another group of Baluch militants hijacked a train and held hostages for 36 hours, a major escalation in its fight against national authorities in Islamabad.
Officials told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that a convoy of Pakistani paramilitary troops was passing through the Noshki district in the province of Balochistan when it was attacked. Three security soldiers were killed, along with two civilians. Reuters cited unnamed officials as saying the attack involved a suicide truck bomb.
The Baloch Liberation Army -- which has been declared a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and others -- claimed more than 90 soldiers were killed in the attack.
SEE ALSO: Fate Of More Than 100 Pakistani Train Hostages Unknown Amid Contradictory ClaimsA vast and resource-rich province, Balochistan has been plagued by insurgency for over two decades, led mainly by the Baloch Liberation Army, and allied separatist groups seeking independence from Islamabad.
The incident came five days after militants seized a passenger train in a remote mountain pass, killing 31 soldiers and civilians, the military said. It was first time the group had hijacked a train, which experts said was a sign of escalation of its fight with Islamabad.
Pakistani authorities have struggled to crack down on growing violence in the border regions, which they say stems in part from militants taking shelter across the border in Afghanistan.
Baluch nationalists blame Pakistan for committing grave rights abuses while trying to suppress the insurgency. They also accused Islamabad of exploiting natural resources without benefiting local communities.