A suicide bomber killed two soldiers on Saturday and two others died in a fierce clash with militants in North Waziristan, officials said. Two soldiers were killed and as many injured in the suicide attack at the Dharkhubi checkpost near the town of Mir Ali, a security official said. Two other soldiers were killed when militants attacked Isha and Qamar checkposts in North Waziristan.The suicide attack near Mir Ali town came hours after troops attacked three suspected militant hideouts in South Waziristan, triggering a shootout that left at least 10 soldiers injured. Gunmen also killed a policeman on Saturday when they lobbed a hand grenade at a police checkpost in Bannu, police officer Dar Ali Khattak said. Five other officers were also injured in the attack.
| A suicide bomber also blew himself to pieces in Bannu after being cornered by police, injuring a policeman and a civilian, Khattak said. |
Earlier, a soldier was injured when militants clashed with security forces near the Christian cemetery in Miranshah. Separately, militants fired up to 20 rockets before dawn at the Banda checkpost outside Miranshah, but there were no reports of casualties.
The Taliban of South Waziristan on Saturday abandoned the peace agreement they had signed with the government in 2005. In South Waziristan, a tribal jirga set off to negotiate the release of 15 paramilitary soldiers taken hostage by militants last week.