ISLAMABAD, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's banned militant group Baluch Liberation Army (BLA) Friday claimed responsibility for killing Baluchistan provincial government spokesman Raziq Bugti, private DAWN NEWS TV channel reported.

    Biberg Baloch, self-claimed spokesman of BLA, has called a press club in Quetta to make the claim, according to DAWN NEWS.

    Raziq Bugti was shot dead Friday afternoon by gunmen in an ambush in Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan, local TV channels reported.

    Raziq Bugti, 55, was alone and driving his vehicle and no security guard was with him when assailants opened fire at the vehicle, the private Geo TV channel reported.

    Attacks on government installations or public assets have been reported frequently in the southwest remote region where anti-government tribal people have been campaigning for more autonomy and bigger royalties share from the local natural resources.

    Since early July, Pakistan has seen a series of attacks across the country, most of which targeted security forces and were considered to be religious extremists' backlash from the government operation against Islamabad-based hard-line Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque.

    Abdullah Mehsud, a militant leader mostly based in northwestern Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region, blew himself up on July 24 to avoid arrest when law enforcement officials raided a house in Baluchistan. 　

    Pakistani PM condemns terrorist attack on spokesman

    ISLAMABAD, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday strongly condemned a terrorist attack in southwestern Pakistan in which the spokesman of Baluchistan government was killed.

    Aziz said that such acts of terrorism only serve the cause of anti-state elements who want to destabilize the country and create chaos.

    TV: Pakistan's provincial gov't spokesman shot dead

    ISLAMABAD, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Baluchistan provincial government spokesman Abdul Raziq Bugti was shot dead Friday by unknown gunmen, local TV channels reported.

    Raziq Bugti died on the spot when the unidentified armed group sprayed volley of bullets at his vehicle at Zarghon Road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan, private Geo TV reported, quoting police.