Pakistan troops killed in suicide attack
President Musharraf faces a stern test of his leadership
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Saturday, 14, Jul 2007 04:40
A suicide bomber has struck a Pakistani military convey in the north of the country killing at least 18 soldiers.
28 others have been injured in the attack which took place on a road near Daznaray, a village around 50 kilometres north of Miran Shah.
One army vehicle is still unaccounted for after the party was rammed by a vehicle loaded with high explosives.
The incident was followed by reports of a second attack near the town of Bannu in which two security officials were injured by a similar device.
While in the northwest's largest city, Peshawar, the authorities were claiming to have averted a major terrorist incident with the discovery of two anti-tank mines attached to a timing device and detonator in a car parked in the downtown area.
"It was a timely foiled terrorist attempt which could have caused disaster in the crowded area," said police chief Abdul Majeed Marwat.
Troops had been deployed to the area as part of a large-scale military operation aimed at controlling unrest amongst Muslim extremists in the wake of the Red Mosque siege.
President Musharraf has moved swiftly after suggestions that militants in the remote tribal region of North Waziristan may be preparing to launch a concerted assault on his government in reaction to the bloody end brought to the stand-off last week.