12 die in Pakistan suicide blast
A suicide bomber today killed 12 people at a police checkpoint in a north-west Pakistani tribal area where the military declared victory over the Taliban and al-Qaida last year.
Ten civilians and two police officers died in the suicide attack in the Bajur tribal region, while 24 people were wounded, local government official Bakhat Pacha said.
The attacker, on foot, struck a market area in the region’s main town, Khar, he said.
The attack came a day after officials said security forces had killed 44 militants in three days of battles on the outskirts of Khar.
Pakistan waged a major military offensive against Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents in Bajur in 2008, declaring victory over the militants by February 2009.
But in recent weeks, clashes and now this latest suicide attack have signalled a deteriorating security situation in the area.
The violence comes as Pakistan’s army has focused on an offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region, the primary stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban. That military operation is believed to have led many militants to flee to other parts of the tribal belt.
The US has praised the Pakistani operations, but also wants Islamabad to pursue militants in North Waziristan, where many of the insurgent groups are focused on battling Western troops across the border in Afghanistan.
