Militants bomb major gas pipeline in northwestern Pakistan

Suspected militants blew up a major gas pipeline in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, suspending supply to the country's largest province of Punjab, police said.

The incident, the latest in a series of similar explosions in recent months, took place in the restive Lakki Marwat district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police spokesman Amir Khan told the media.

Suspected militants detonated explosives planted on the pipeline, he said, adding that the explosion caused the suspension of gas supply to Punjab's Mianwali region.

This was the fourth attack at the same location in less than three months.

There was no immediate word claiming responsibility for the explosion. However, security forces blame the outlawed militant network Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has an extensive record of attacking security forces and government installations.

Security forces conducted a search operation in the area to find the perpetrators.

Lakki Marwat has long been a hotbed of terrorism and violence, with TTP militants carrying out several attacks on security forces, particularly police officers, in recent years.