Roadside blast kills one soldier in north-west Pakistan
One soldier was killed Sunday by an explosion that targeted Pakistani forces fighting Islamic militants in the north-western Swat valley, according to the military, the dpa reported.
The bomb planted along a road in Swat's sub-district of Matta was detonated by remote control when military personnel were patrolling the area, the Inter Services Public Relations directorate said.
It said one soldier died and another was wounded, while private television channels said two were killed and at least five injured.
Separately, gunmen killed three civilians in two strikes in different areas of the restive valley.
Swat, which used to be a tourism haven, was plagued by violence last year when supporters of radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah tried to enforce strict Taliban-style laws, prompting the government send troops into the area.
Hundreds of people were killed in the fighting before March when a new government offered peace talks to the militants. The ceasefire did not hold, as the rebels resumed attacks on the military that they claimed had violated the truce conditions first.
