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Published 08 Feb, 2013 03:35pm

Baloch militants kill two Pakistani soldiers: officials

QUETTA: Gunmen on Friday fired at a Pakistani security forces' convoy killing two soldiers and wounding another in the restive southwestern Balochistan province which borders Iran and Afghanistan, officials said.

“The Baloch militants fired at a paramilitary convoy when it was passing from mountains in Mand area of Turbat district,” Akbar Hussain Durrani, the provincial home secretary told AFP.

Mand is a remote town on the border between Pakistan and Iran, around 700 kilometres (430 miles) from the provincial capital Quetta.

“There was an exchange of fire after the attack. However, there is no confirmation of the loss on the militants' side because they were in the mountains,” said Durrani.

Hundreds of people have died in the province since Baloch rebels rose up in 2004 demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region's wealth of natural oil, gas and mineral resources.

The area is also plagued by Islamist militancy and sectarian violence.

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