A suspected suicide bomber was killed in a bomb blast in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, a government official said.

The unidentified motorcyclist had tied the bomb with his body and was planning to carry out a suicide attack in the town of Hub, some 700 km southeast of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, Deputy Superintendent Police Muhammad Rafiq said.

He said that the man seemed to be a local, but his identification has not yet been established. His face reading suggests he might belong to Mengal or Murre tribes, who are in conflict with the government, Rafiq said.

Leaders of the two tribes are campaigning against the government and demanding more political and economic rights.

Police took security measures and cordoned off the area following the blast.

Police said that they were tracing the expected target of the suicide bomber.

The town of Hub, located near the boundaries of the port city of Karachi, is taking the shape of industrial state in view of growing factories.

The area has been under terror attacks for some time.

In June, at least 11 persons were injured when a time bomb exploded in a hotel in the town, just a few hours before President Musharraf's visit to the town.

In February, unidentified gun men had shot dead three Chinese engineers and their driver in Hub.

Source: Xinhua