QUETTA: At least two people were killed and 12 others injured by an explosion in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan on Sunday, officials said, as a bomb hit a police vehicle in Quetta.
The improvised explosive device fitted inside a motorbike exploded near the exit gate of the upscale Serena hotel when a vehicle with security forces was passing the site.
Two officers were killed and eight injured, Azhar Ikram, deputy inspector general of Quetta police, told reporters at the scene.
"The officers were returning to the police line after completing their duty when an explosive-laden motorbike exploded," he said.
The rest of the injured are civilians.
Dr. Javed Akhtar, medical superintendent at the Civil Hospital Quetta said three officers were in critical condition.
"We have received 12 injured, including eight policemen, and an emergency has been declared after the blast," he said.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion.
The explosion comes as Pakistan is busy preparing for its Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 14 and security arrangements in the entire country have been beefed up.
The southwestern province bordering Iran and Afghanistan has long been the scene of low-level insurgency.
Separatists have been fighting security forces for years in the province over what they see as unfair exploitation of its vast mineral wealth. They also claim security forces have pushed them to take up arms because of a long history of human rights abuses against the Baloch people, which authorities in the province have vehemently denied.
Insurgents are also opposed to, and attack, projects linked to China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative in the resource-rich province.
In April, a powerful blast targeted the Serena hotel where a delegation led by the Chinese ambassador was staying. At least four people were killed in the attack.