Pakistan suspends mobile data service in restive province

Pakistan has suspended cell phone data services for three weeks in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan in a bid to block communications among separatist insurgents behind a surge in recent attacks, an official and the government said.

Separatist militants demanding a bigger share of profits from the resources of the mineral-rich province have stepped up attacks in recent months, particularly on Pakistan’s military, which has launched an intelligence-based offensive against them.