Nine killed in Pakistan car bomb attack

At least nine people were killed when a car bomb exploded outside the home of a local politician in south-west Pakistan, police said today.

Police officer Nazir Ahmed Kurd said another 21 people were injured in the blast in an upmarket area of Quetta.

It was unclear if the politician, Shafique Mengal, was at home at the time.

Mr Mengal is the son of Naseer Mengal, a prominent politician who had served as oil minister during the tenure of former president Pervez Musharraf.

The surrounding province of Baluchistan has experienced a violent insurgency for decades by nationalists who are demanding more autonomy and a greater share of the province's natural resources.

AP