A police officer was shot and killed in southwestern Pakistan during violent riots that broke out after three local political leaders were found dead.
The policeman was killed Thursday when rioters opened fire in Khuzdar, a town in Baluchistan province.
Earlier, the bodies of three Baluch nationalist leaders were discovered in another part of the province.
For years, Baluch groups have been campaigning for greater control of the province's gas and other resources.
One such group, the Baluchistan Liberation United Front, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of an American United Nations official, John Solecki, who was recently freed. The group had demanded the release of more than 1,100 ethnic Baluchs who were detained by the Pakistani government.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
