Bomb blast kills nine soldiers in North Waziristan

A roadside bomb attack killed at least nine soldiers in the militants-infested North Waziristan tribal region on Sunday, the military said.

The Improvised Explosive Device hit a convoy of the security forces in Boya area of North Waziristan, an army statement said.

“At least nine soldiers embraced shahadat (martyrdom) in the explosion,” a brief statement from the army’s Inter-Services Public Relations said.

Nine other soldiers were injured, the statement said. They were taken to a nearby army’s hospital.

The blast occurred during the weekly movement of the security forces, sources said. The authorities routinely clamp curfew in North Waziristan on Sundays for the movement of the troops.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban and other militant groups in the region are blamed for attacks on security forces.

A major Taliban group in North Waziristan led by Hafiz Gul Bahadar has struck a peace deal with the security forces and both do not attack each other.

However, members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and other splinter groups in the area carry out attacks on the security forces.

North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan, is the focus of the US drone attacks and in a latest attack an American unmanned aircraft struck a house killed at least four militants.

The US says that al-Qaeda remnants and Taliban use North Waziristan as launching pad for cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.

Washington is pressing Islamabad for a major operation against the militants in North Waziristan however the army is reluctant to open a new front on the plea that the forces are already engaged in other areas.

The government also cites financial constraints to opt for another military operation.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Sep 1 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.