Roadside bomb kills Pakistani soldier

A Pakistani soldier was killed and three others were injured in a roadside bomb blast near the North Waziristan tribal region Friday morning, security officials said.

A vehicle of the Bomb Disposal Squad was hit by a landmine at Jani Khel, a town at the edge of North Waziristan, killing a soldier on the spot.

Members of the squad were scanning the area for the convoy of security forces when the blast occurred.

The vehicle was completely destroyed in the blast. The injured were taken to a military hospital in Bannu, a main city in the region.

The security forces regularly scan the roads in view of planting roadside IEDs to target the convoy of security forces.

No group claimed responsibility yet. The security forces blame Taliban for such blasts.

Taliban announced Thursday to increase revenge attacks on the security forces after a recent U.S. drone strike which killed their deputy chief Wali-ur-Rehman Mehsud.

The Taliban also withdrew their dialogue offer to the government, claiming that the government “shared information” with the Americans for the drone strikes. (Xinhua-ANI)