QUETTA: A bomb blast on Friday killed at least three paramilitary soldiers and wounded four others in Pakistan's restive southwestern province of Balochistan, officials said.

The roadside bomb hit a patrol vehicle in the Jahoo area of remote Awaran district, a stronghold of rebels that was hit by a major earthquake in September last year.

“At least three soldiers were martyred and four others were wounded, two of them seriously when a bomb planted by miscreants exploded on a roadside,” spokesman of Frontier Corps Abdul Wasay told news agency AFP.

An FC spokesperson told DawnNews that the security convoy was traveling from Wadh area to Bela when it struck a remote controlled explosive device planted on the roadside, killing three personnel and wounding four others.

He said that following the blast, militants who had taken positions in nearby mountains opened fire on the security personnel. Security forces resorted to retaliatory gunfire.

Local intelligence officials confirmed the bombing and casualties.

Nobody immediately claimed the responsibility for the attack.