At least nine people have been killed and 21 others injured by a car bomb in Pakistan's Baluchistan province.

Police say the bomb went off outside a house in Quetta used by the family of former provincial minister Naseer Mengal. It is unclear whether the driver was inside the vehicle at the time of the blast.

So far, there has been no word as to whether Mengal or any members of his family were among the victims. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Baluchistan has been in the grip of a regional insurgency for years as separatist militants fight for more autonomy and greater control over natural resources.

The province bordering Iran and Afghanistan also is home to pro-Taliban militants.