ISLAMABAD, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Four security personnel were killed and 16 others injured after a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack targeted a check post of Pakistan Coast Guards in the country's southwest Balochistan province, official sources said on Saturday.
The attack took place at about 6:40 p.m. local time (1340 GMT) on Friday when an explosive-laden truck rammed into the Pakistan Coast Guards check post in Jiwani city in Gwadar district, the sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The powerful explosion destroyed the check post building, killing three Pakistan Coast Guards personnel and one Pakistan Army soldier on the spot, the sources said.
Sixteen security personnel, including eight Pakistan Army soldiers and eight Coast Guards personnel, were injured in the blast, with several of the injured reported to be in critical condition.
According to the sources, a group of terrorists who had taken positions near the check post opened fire shortly after the explosion before fleeing the scene.
Police, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site, cordoned off the area and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment.
A search operation was launched while investigators began collecting evidence from the scene.
Banned militant outfit Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the sources.
No further details were immediately available as investigations and rescue operations continued. ■