A gas pipeline has been blown up in Pakistan's troubled southern province of Balochistan, officials say.

An official said the blast in Pirkoh early on Thursday would disrupt gas supplies to some parts of the country.

No one was injured in the blast, and no-one has admitted carrying out the apparent attack, officials said.

Tribal militants in Balochistan, the source of Pakistan's main gas reserves, are demanding greater control over natural resources.

The situation in the province is unsettled, with increasing violence between rebels and security forces.

The explosion damaged a pipe connecting a well to a gas compression plant in Pirkoh.

Two gas plants that produce around 60 million cubic feet of gas daily have been shut down after the explosion.

A local official, Abdul Samad Lasi, said this would lead to a shortage of natural gas in Multan and Faisalabad areas in the Punjab province.

Earlier this month, tribesmen blew up a gas pipeline in the district of Dera Bugti in Balochistan, officials said.

They are said to be led by Nawab Akbar Bugti, the leader of one of the most powerful tribes in the area.

PHOTO CAPTION

Pakistani policemen in Quetta. (AFP)

BBC