Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Suicide Blast in NW Pakistan Kills 18

By VOA News
27 August 2009

Security officials in Pakistan say a suicide bomb blast in the northwest has killed at least 18 people, most of them police officers.

The attack took place Thursday in the Khyber region, at the main border crossing route into Afghanistan.

A government official said the bomber struck near a group of policemen who had gathered to break their Ramadan fast in the town of Torkham, located at the border with Afghanistan.

Earlier, authorities say a suspected U.S. drone killed six militants in the south Waziristan tribal region.

In the same region Wednesday, Pakistani helicopter gunships attacked Taliban targets along the Afghan border.

Pakistan's new Taliban leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, has vowed to take revenge against the United States for the death of their late commander.

Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a U.S. drone strike earlier this month.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.