Three killed as armed men attack Pakistan Coast Guard in Arabian Sea

Separatist insurgents killed three Pakistan Coast Guard personnel on Sunday in the first-ever attack on one of the maritime authority's patrol boats operating in the Arabian Sea, security officials said.

Intelligence and police officials said the boat was on a routine patrol in a coastal area close to the Pakistan-Iran border when the militants opened fire and killed three on board.

The incident adds to security challenges in Balochistan, a flashpoint of insurgency where armed groups have frequently targeted security forces and infrastructure.

The banned separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. "Following the operations on land, the action in maritime boundaries marks a new development in the BLA’s military strategy," the BLA said in a statement.