Islamabad, Mar 04: A jeep patrol vehicle was blown up by a timed explosive device this morning in Pakistan's northwestern border region of south Waziristan, injuring two militiamen and damaging the vehicle, eyewitnesses said. The minor blast occurred as the jeep belonging to a local official was travelling through the main market of Wana, the administrative headquarters of south Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan.
Large numbers of Pakistani army and paramilitary troops are currently in the mountainous and thickly-forested region trying to capture al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and leaders of the radical Taliban militia.
Around 43 people, including five foreigners, were arrested from the same region in an operation last week.
Meanwhile, reports from Wana said authorities have arrested at least 15 tribal chiefs for allegedly sheltering local and foreign extremists.
The army has also rushed in hundreds of reinforcement troops in what appears to be preparations for another swoop through the area, sources in Wana told.
Government officials and the army suspect that more foreigners might still be hiding out in the region, including bin Laden and Taliban chief Mulla Mohammad Omar.
Bureau Report