Suicide car bomb kills 8 troops in Pakistan
The Associated Press, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan | Sun, 11/02/2008 2:24 PM
A suicide car bomber rammed into security forces at a Pakistani paramilitary fort Sunday morning, killing at least eight troops in a volatile region near the Afghan border, officials said.
The bombing occurred at a checkpoint near the main gate of the Zalai Fort, where members of the Frontier Corps were gathered, said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the Pakistan army's top spokesman.
The fort is 1 miles (20 kilometers) outside Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, a tribal region considered a hub for al-Qaida and Taliban fighters involved in attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani troops were washing their vehicles when the attack came, said two intelligence officials who spoke on cndition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media. They described the explosion as "large" and said it collapsed the checkpoint and damaged the front wall of the fort.
It was not possible to immediately verify the details independently. South Waziristan is a dangerous and remote ar where travel by foreigners and many journalists is restricted.
Pakistan is a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terror and, under American pressure, it has deployed security forces throughout its northwest in an attempt to tamp down growing militancy. The troops have been frequent targets of attacks.
The U.S. is also suspected in a series of missile strikes against insurgent targets in South Waziristan and other parts of Pakistan's northwest. The strikes have angered many in the population and spurred calls of revenge among militants.
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