Gunmen from a rebel group have attacked the house of a pro-government militia leader in south-western Pakistan, killing nine members of his family, officials say.
The incident took place on Sunday in the Dera Bugti district of Balochistan province, where several armed groups have been fighting for independence for decades.
Three women and three children were among the dead, police official Asad Khan said from Quetta, the provincial capital.
Guards from the militia returned fire, killing two of the attackers, who were said to be members of the Balochistan Republican Army rebel group, Khan said.
It was the latest in a series of attacks by ethnic Baloch rebels against pro-government political and militia leaders in the province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.
Apart from nationalist rebels, groups affiliated with al-Qaeda also operate in the province.
