At least 4 killed, 20 injured in blast in Pakistan's Balochistan province

A bomb exploded near a market in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, killing four people and injuring 20 others, according to a media report on Monday.

The blast occurred near Jabbar Market in Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan on Sunday, causing extensive damage to the building and triggering widespread panic.

Several shops collapsed, and fires erupted in multiple establishments following the explosion, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. 

Killa Abdullah Deputy Commissioner Riaz Khan said four people were killed and 20 others injured in the explosion.

He said that the market was located adjacent to the rear wall of the Frontier Corps (FC) Fort. Following the explosion, a brief exchange of gunfire occurred between unidentified assailants and FC personnel. Law enforcement officials sealed off the area and launched a comprehensive search and clearance operation.

The injured included a security guard of tribal elder Haji Faizullah Khan Ghabizai and several bystanders.

The blast came days after four Levies personnel lost their lives in a deadly gun attack by unidentified armed men on a check post in the Nal area of Khuzdar district. 

Balochistan has been facing unrest for about two decades due to allegations by the local ethnic Baloch groups and parties that the federal government was exploiting the mineral wealth of the province.