Gunmen kill 2 Pakistani troops, wound 4 near Iran border

Gunmen gunmen opened fire on Pakistani security forces patrolling a remote border region near Iran on Thursday, killing two troops, a provincial minister said.

Four other troops were also wounded in the attack in the town of Turbat in impoverished Baluchistan province, said provincial interior minister Ziaullah Longove.

The troops were patrolling the region where smugglers have a strong presence. Pakistan has also stepped up security along the Iran border in recent weeks to check on movement of people in order to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Such attacks have been blamed on militants and small separatist groups. Baluchistan has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency by armed groups demanding more autonomy for the region and a greater share in the gas and mineral resources there.

The government claims it has quelled the insurgency but violence has continued.