SW Pakistan madrassa bomb kills 15

The death toll from a bomb attack in Pakistan's troubled southwestern city of Quetta rose to 15 on Friday after seven people injured died overnight in hospital, police said. The dead included five students from the seminary where the bomb exploded as people gathered to attend a degree ceremony. The 10 others were teachers, employees and relatives of the students, police said. "Seven more critically injured died in hospitals overnight. A total of 30 people, including students, were wounded in the blast," Abdur Rahim Khokhar, a local police official, told AFP. Khokhar warned that the death toll could still rise further. Police said six kilograms (13 pounds) of explosives were planted on a bicycle, parked outside the seminary and covered with garlands. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. Baluch rebels rose up in the province in 2004, demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from oil, gas and mineral resources in the region. It is one of the most deprived regions of Pakistan despite its wealth in resources, and human rights activists have heavily condemned the military for summary arrests and executions in its bid to put down the separatist insurgency. The city also suffers from Islamist militancy and sectarian violence.