This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25799199
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Pakistan Taliban: Deadly blast rips through convoy | |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least 20 soldiers have been killed in north-western Pakistan in a bomb blast that struck an army convoy, sources in the security forces say. | |
At least 24 others were injured in the explosion near the town of Bannu, with fears the death toll will rise. | |
The source of the explosion is still being investigated. | |
Pakistan's Taliban said they had carried out the attack as part of a "fight against a secular system" and promised "many more such attacks". | |
Soldiers and paramilitary Frontier Corps were preparing to leave Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, for Razmak in North Waziristan when their convoy was rocked by the blast. | |
"The explosion took place in one of the vehicles of the convoy," an unnamed senior security official told AFP. | |
"We are trying to ascertain the exact nature of the explosion, whether it was a planted device or a suicide attack." | |
A military source told Reuters news agency the soldiers had been travelling in a hired civilian vehicle. | |
Speaking to Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location, Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said: "With the help of God we claim responsibility for this. | |
"The army is our enemy. We will carry out many more attacks like this again." | |
Last week, a senior police officer known for campaigning against the militants was killed in a bomb blast in Karachi. | Last week, a senior police officer known for campaigning against the militants was killed in a bomb blast in Karachi. |