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Fresh wave of violence claims four lives in southwestern Pakistan

25 October 2013 23:19 (UTC +04:00)

In the first incident, gunmen opened fire at a hotel and killed a regional politician, Rasool Bakhsh Khetran and one of his companion on Masjid road area of Quetta, the daily Dawnnewspaper reported.

Security sources said the attackers managed to flee the scene before policemen reached the crime scene and cordoned off the area.

Separately, police recovered at least two dead bodies in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan on Friday. Police forces said the victims had received multiple bullets. The motive behind the killings is not yet confirmed.

"It seems to be targeted killing,” the daily quoted a regional police official as saying.

Pro-Taliban militants and some Baloch insurgent groups have carried out numerous attacks against security forces as well as civilians and managed to spread their influence in various regions of the country, despite frequent offensives by the Pakistani army.

Some Baloch militant groups say they want greater political autonomy and a share of the province's natural resources.

The Pakistani army has launched several fresh operations in the troubled northwestern and southwestern regions in a bid to flush out militants from the volatile areas.

Despite the Pakistani government's operations against Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and associated groups, they have still been able to spread their influence in various regions of the country and kill thousands of people.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001, when Pakistan entered an alliance with the US in the so-called war on terror.

Thousands more have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping across the country.