Gun, suicide attack kills 23 near Pakistan-Iran border

QUETTA: At least 23 people including several pilgrims were killed in a gun and suicide attack on the Pakistan-Iran border late on Sunday night, officials said

The attack came when a bus carrying pilgrims returning from a visit to holy Muslim sites in Iran stopped at a restaurant in the town of Taftan in Baluchistan province, around 700 kilometres (430 miles) southwest of the provincial capital Quetta.

Akbar Durrani, the provincial home secretary said: "Twenty-three pilgrims were killed in the suicide attack in Taftan. Seven were injured including six women and one child."

He had earlier stated that the dead included security personnel. Addressing a press conference, Durrani said four suicide bombers attacked two restaurants full of pilgrims.

One suicide bomber was shot dead trying to enter one of the restaurants while the other three managed to enter a second restaurant and blow themselves up.