Three Pakistani soldiers killed in suicide car bombing

Nov 12, 2008, 6:35 GMT

   Islamabad - At least three soldiers were killed on Wednesday in a suicide car-bomb attack on their camp in north-western Pakistan, a military official said.

   Half a dozen troops were wounded in the attack that took place in Shabqadar, a town bordering the militant-infested Mohmand tribal district close to the Afghan border.

   'It was a vehicle-borne attack in which the bomber struck a cordon at a military camp, killing three security personnel,' the official said.

   He declined to give further details, saying 'we are assessing the situation.'

   No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

   Recent news reports said that government forces are strengthening their presence in Mohmand and its adjacent areas in a possible move to launch a military operation against al-Qaeda and Taliban militants believed to be holed up in the restive region.

   Islamic insurgents have intensified their attacks, including suicide bombings, on security forces and politicians in recent weeks.

   On Tuesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a sports complex in the city of Peshawar, killing four people. Senior government functionaries and political figures were leaving the facility at the time of the attack.