7 soldiers killed in a suicide truck bombing and shootout in northwest Pakistan
Associated PressPESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden truck into a sprawling military post in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, the military and security officials said. Troops responding to the attack in North Waziristan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan, killed six more attackers, some of whom were wearing suicide vests, the military said. A clearance operation is still underway in the area, it said, adding that the “security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.” Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and paid tribute to the troops who were “martyred” in the attack. North Waziristan long served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups until the army claimed a few years back that it had cleared the region of insurgents.