A suicide bomber on Saturday rammed an explosives-packed car into a military convoy in Pakistan's restive tribal region near Afghanistan, killing at least 24 soldiers and injuring scores in possible fallout of the recent army crackdown on the pro-Taliban Lal Masjid.
The attack took place near Daz Nerai area in North Waziristan Tribal Agency around 1130 hours local time, Pakistan's defence spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad said in Islamabad.
A car filled with explosives hit a military convoy, which was moving from Ramzak to Bannu, he said, adding that at least 24 soldiers were killed and scores injured in the attack.
In a separate incident, at least two soldiers were injured in a landmine blast in Bannu, DawnNews reported.
Saturday's attacks came two days after a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a political agent's office in Miranshah, killing four people and injuring three others. On the same day, two suicide bombers rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a police patrol killing three policemen at Mingora area.
The attacks followed the July 10 storming of the Lal Masjid in Islamabad, where 102 people were killed and scores others, including 44 commandos, injured. Eleven soldiers were among those killed while the rest were militants.
Arshad told the media in Islamabad that the military cannot rule out that the attacks in tribal areas were fallout of the action against the Lal Masjid. At the same time, he reminded such incidents took place earlier also.
Arshad said the army is taking measures to tighten security in the volatile tribal belt. Troops have already been deployed in Sawad, D I Khan and Tank areas.
