Pakistani officials said Tuesday a roadside bombing of a military convoy and a separate clash with militants in southwestern Baluchistan province had killed at least seven troops and a civilian.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media that An army statement said in one incident, paramilitary troops were heading back to their base camp after a “routine patrolling duty” late Monday when an improvised explosive device hit their convoy in the remote Pir Ghaib area and detonated. Six troops and their civilian driver were killed.

Mureed Baluch, a purported spokesman for the so-called United Baluch Army separatist group, claimed it planted the bomb. He said in a statement to the news media the targeted Pakistani troops were guarding engineers of an oil and gas installation in the area.