Deadly Blast Hits Peace Committee In Waziristan

BOMB BLAST OUTSIDE PEACE COMMITTEE OFFICE KILLS SEVEN IN PAKISTANI TRIBAL REGION

At least seven people have been killed and 16 injured after a powerful bomb detonated outside the office of a pro-government peace committee in Wana, the main city in South Waziristan, police reported today.

Local police chief Usman Wazir told reporters that the blast specifically targeted the peace committee office, a group known for its opposition to the Pakistani Taliban and its role in resolving local disputes.

Several of the wounded remain in critical condition at a nearby hospital, according to authorities.

The attack comes just one day after Pakistani military forces reported killing 54 militants in neighbouring North Waziristan during a major operation against insurgents attempting to cross from Afghanistan.

Military officials confirmed this morning that an additional 17 militants were killed in overnight operations in North Waziristan, bringing the total number of insurgents killed in the region to 71 over the past three days.

The bombing struck in what was once a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in the restive northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.