Car bomb targeting Pakistan paramilitary kills 10

A massive explosion outside the headquarters of a paramilitary force in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta has left at least 10 people dead.

Police said the blast was triggered by a pick-up truck loaded with explosives.

During televised remarks, Provincial Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said several gunmen stormed the headquarters after the bombing, triggering a gun battle with the paramilitary. Four attackers were killed during the ambush.

Bugti said such "cowardly attacks cannot deter us from bringing development and prosperity to our people".

Ten people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed by the attackers, provincial Health Minister Bakht Kakar told Reuters. Another 33 were injured, he said.

Paramilitary soldiers were among those killed but their exact number was not yet known, he added.

Quetta is the capital of restive Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. The mineral-rich region is home to Gwadar Port, built by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a $65 billion investment in President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to expand China's global reach by road, rail and sea.

The separatists, who mostly target Pakistani security forces and the Chinese nationals or their projects, say they have been fighting for their due share of regional resources. Meanwhile, militant groups have been fighting to overthrow the government and replace it with their system of governance.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.