Two roadside bomb attacks in northwest Pakistan killed at least nine people on Thursday, including seven members of a pro-government militia, officials said.
Twenty militiamen were travelling by bus from the tribal district of Khyber, where fighting has recently intensified in a long-running Pakistan military operation against the Taliban and other insurgents on the Afghan border.
A roadside bomb struck their bus in the village of Hassanzo in the neighbouring tribal district of Orakzai as it was on its way to Kohat, one of the main garrison towns for the Pakistan army in the northwest, officials said.
"As a result of the blast, the passenger van was completely destroyed and seven people were killed and 13 others are wounded," top Orakzai administration official Mehmood Hasan told AFP, warning the death toll could rise.
"According to initial information, the van was hired by a local peace committee from Khyber and 20 members of the peace committee were on board together with the driver," he said.
Peace committees are armed groups operating in the restive northwest with the aim of protecting local communities on behalf of the government.
In the second attack, which happened in the same place, a van carrying civilians was hit by a blast, killing two people and wounding 10, Hasan said.
Security officials confirmed the attacks and the death toll.
Pakistani troops have been locked in deadly battles for years with domestic insurgents in the northwestern tribal belt, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants also plot attacks on Afghan and Western targets.
Islamabad says more than 35,000 people have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
AFP
Thu Feb 14 2013
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap, pastikan kewangan negara lebih mampan
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari telefon, rantai Nur Farah Kartini hari ini
Proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Bangkai pesawat MH17 tanpa sayap imbau kekejaman tragedi menyayat hati
Keadaan serpihan pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yang cuba dibina semula tanpa sayap, tayar, ekor dan tempat duduk penumpang cukup menggerunkan sekali gus mengingatkan pada kekejaman yang meragut
VOP akan diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan - Ahmad
Pelaksanaan Syarat Perubahan Harga (VOP) susulan penyasaran subsidi diesel dijangka diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan lagi, kata Timbalan Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Industri minyak sawit disaran guna semula sisa untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan - Liew
Industri minyak sawit perlu mengkaji penggunaan semula sisa sebagai stok suapan penting untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan (SAF), di luar penggunaan tradisional minyak sawit.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab.
MAA semak semula unjuran jualan kenderaan 2024 kepada 765,000 unit
Persatuan Automotif Malaysia (MAA) telah menyemak semula unjuran jualan kenderaan bermotor baharu bagi 2024 kepada 765,000 unit daripada anggaran sebelumnya sebanyak 740,000 unit.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya.
Rasionalisasi RON95 dijangka beri impak lebih besar kepada PKS - SAMENTA
SAMENTA menjangkakan rasionalisasi RON95 akan memberi impak yang lebih besar kepada perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) berbanding pelarasan subsidi diesel.
Malaysia sasar pengeluaran 40 peratus sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030
Malaysia menyasarkan pengeluaran 40 peratus hasil sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030 dalam usaha membantu mengimbangi keperluan perikanan negara.