A powerful bomb attached to a motorcycle detonated near a vehicle carrying police officers in the troubled southwestern region of Pakistan on Friday, resulting in the deaths of seven people, including five children.

Axar.az reports that , citing The Associated Press, local police chief Fateh Mohammad reported that the attack took place in Mastung, a district in Balochistan province. At the time of the explosion, a motorized rickshaw carrying schoolchildren was nearby, leading to the tragic deaths of the five children, one police officer, and a passerby.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, it is likely that suspicion will fall on separatist factions that have increased their assaults on security forces and civilians in recent months.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Balochistan’s chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, condemned the bombing and pledged to persist in their fight against insurgents until they are eradicated from the nation.