Blast Kills 2 Soldiers In NW Pakistan

Islamabad, Nov 19, IRNA -- A roadside bomb hit army convoy in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal area, killing two soldiers and injuring four others, officials said on Sunday. Security officials said the convoy was targeted by a remote-controlled bomb in Mir Ali town of North Waziristan. The troops were on patrol during curfew in the town, security officials said, adding that two troops were martyred in attack while four army soldiers wounded in the blast were rushed to a military hospital in the region. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet. The Taliban main group and the security forces have a peace deal in North Waziristan and both do not attack each other under the 2007 agreement. But security officials say there are several militants groups, including members of al-Qaeda, Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and splinter groups of the Tehrik-e-Taliban who carry out attacks on the security forces. Pakistan is under mounting American pressure to launch operation in North Waziristan against the militants, who are blamed for cross-border attacks into Afghanistan on the foreign and Afghan troops. North Waziristan is also the focus of the US drone strikes despite opposition by Pakistan. Earlier reports suggested that Pakistani government has planned a military operation in North Waziristan to wipe out foreign and local Taliban militants from the region. But the army has not confirmed the reports./end