A suicide bomber on Monday killed nine police officers in an attack on their truck in southwestern Pakistan, officials said.

“The suicide bomber was riding a motorbike and hit the truck from behind,” senior police official Abdul Hai Aamir told AFP.

The incident took place at Dhadar, the main town of Kachhi district, some 120 kilometres southeast of Quetta in Balochistan. At least 16 people sustained injuries in the attack.

Mehmood Notezai, police chief for Kachhi district, told AFP the police were returning from a week-long cattle show where they had been providing security.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, Baluch separatists and local militants have been blamed for previous such attacks.