Four Christians shot dead in Quetta

QUETTA: Four Christians were shot dead in southwestern Pakistan on Monday, police said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

The incident occurred in a Christian-majority neighbourhood in the city of Quetta, capital of the Balochistan province, and officials said it appeared to be a targeted attack on the religious minority.

"Three members of a family, including a woman, were killed when the motor rickshaw they were (in)... came under attack," Moazzam Jah Ansari, the police chief of the province, told AFP.

"The rickshaw driver, who was also a Christian by faith, is among the dead."

A child was injured in the attack and is receiving treatment at a hospital, officials added. Ghulam Ali Baloch, a local official, said her injuries were not life-threatening.

"Initial investigations suggest the people were ambushed because of their faith," Ansari said.

The Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan -- Islamic State-Khorasan Province -- claimed responsibility for the attack, the SITE Intelligence Group said.