A Pakistani local official says three soldiers and two coalminers were killed in attacks in the country's volatile southwestern Baluchistan province.

Kalim Ullah says the miners were killed when gunmen opened fire as they stood near the mine in the town of Hernai on Thursday. The attackers fled the scene.

Ullah says members of the paramilitary forces were rushing to the scene when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle, killing three of them.

No one claimed responsibility for the attacks. An investigation is underway.

It's unclear if there was another connection between the attacks.

Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, which has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists demanding more autonomy and a greater share in the region's natural resources such as gas and oil.