MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A suicide bomber targeted a meeting of anti-Taliban elders Wednesday in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, killing five people and wounding 10, security officials said.
The attacker, who was wearing an explosive vest, blew himself up as the elders met in the Tirah Valley in the Khyber tribal region, two officials said.
They said the dead and wounded were transported to a government hospital.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to journalists.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, suspicion fell on Pakistani Taliban, who have been blamed for previous attacks against elders in Khyber and elsewhere in the northwestern tribal regions.
Khyber is believed to be a hiding place for militants.
Pakistan’s army in recent years has destroyed dozens of militant hideouts there, killing scores of suspected insurgents. The military also has been carrying out a major operation against local and foreign militants in the North Waziristan region since June 15.
Pakistan has said it has cleared 90 percent of the North Waziristan of militants during the operation, which displaced over 800,000 residents.
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