A car bombing outside a Pakistani security force headquarters kills at least 8 people

Militants set off a powerful car bomb outside the headquarters of Pakistan’s paramilitary security forces in the southwestern city of Quetta on Tuesday, killing at least eight people and wounding several others, authorities said.

Before detonating their vehicle, four attackers who were inside the car stepped outside and engaged the troops in an intense shootout, according to the police.

Residents said the blast was so powerful it was heard from miles away. Ambulances rushed to the site in front of the Frontier Constabulary and rescuers transported the wounded to nearby hospitals.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, though suspicion is likely to fall on separatist groups that often target civilians and security forces in insurgency-plagued Balochistan, where Quetta is the provincial capital.

According to provincial health minister Bakhat Kakar there were concerns the death toll could rise further.

Local television channels and CCTV footage from the site of the explosion shows a car stopping in front of the gate of the paramilitary compound. An explosion follows and gunfire is heard after the blast. Windows of surrounding buildings were shattered and nearby cars were also damaged, according to the footage.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, saying security forces returned fire and killed all four assailants.

“Terrorists cannot break the nation’s resolve through cowardly acts, and the sacrifices of our people and security forces will not go in vain,” Bugti said in a statement. He said that his government remains committed to making the province a peaceful and secure place.

The latest attack came weeks after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a stadium near Quetta as supporters of a nationalist party were leaving a rally, killing at least 13 people and wounding 30 others.

Balochistan has long been the scene of insurgency, with groups such as the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army demanding independence from the central government. The separatists have largely targeted security forces and civilians in the region and elsewhere.