Deadly Blast At Pakistani Border Town Near Afghanistan

Pakistani officials say three people have been killed and at least 13 others injured in a bomb blast near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The explosion occurred on March 23 in the town of Chaman, a main crossing point between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility, according to Reuters.

The deputy commissioner of the district, Tariq Javed Mengal, said the blast was caused by a remote-control bomb planted in a motorbike.

A shopkeeper, a passerby, and a child were killed, while two security personnel were among the wounded, he said.

Officials said a senior police officer who was apparently the target of the blast was not hurt.

Chaman is located in the resource-rich southwestern province of Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.

The region has been plagued by sectarian violence, attacks by Islamist militants, and a separatist insurgency that has led to thousands of casualties since 2004.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters