The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility for a weekend bombing that killed two police officials in restive southwestern Pakistan, officials said on September 16. Analysts say the latest violence is a sign of increasing coordination between Islamic militants and separatists who for years have been targeting security forces and civilians in the oil- and gas-rich Balochistan Province bordering Iran and Afghanistan. IS said in a statement that it had detonated an explosive device a day earlier targeting a Pakistani police vehicle in Kuchlak town, near Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. Pakistani officials say the attack killed two officers and wounded two others on a highway. The Balochistan Liberation Army has previously claimed such attacks, but the Islamic State has carried out similar attacks in recent months.
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