Army says bomb kills 4 soldiers in southwest Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan – The Pakistani army says a roadside bomb has killed four soldiers in a southwestern town near the Iranian border.

The army said in a statement that another three troops were wounded in the explosion Sunday.

No one has claimed responsibility.

Local police official Mir Aslam says the bomb exploded as a patrol passed through the town of Turbat in the Baluchistan province. The province borders both war-torn Afghanistan and Iran. The incident happened close to Iran’s border.

The province has long dealt with an insurgency by nationalist and separatists groups who want bigger shares in regional resources. Taliban- and al-Qaida-linked sectarian outfits also operate in the region.

Pakistan has been battling militancy for more than a decade.