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12 killed in Pakistan blast

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Search on for missing journalist

ISLAMABAD: At least 12 persons were killed and over 40 others were injured on Thursday following a powerful explosion in an ammunition shop in Jandola town of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan.

According to local television reports, the explosion in the trouble torn region occurred at 9 a.m. (9.30 a.m. IST).

Jandola is the entry point to South Waziristan and security forces have a heavy presence there.

Violent incidents

The blast follows a series of violent incidents in the last few weeks between the security forces and the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

The region has been theatre of a guerilla war for nearly two years.

Pakistan has deployed over 70,000 troops to hunt down the militants suspected to be sheltered there and operating in and out of Afghanistan.

A repeated appeal by the military for surrender has not had the desired effect.

Reports also said on Thursday the bodies of two Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were found, two days after they and two other soldiers disappeared in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan.

The four soldiers went missing on Tuesday night after visiting a market in defiance of orders not to leave their camp in Wana for security reasons. Two of them were seen being forced into a vehicle.

Militants in North Waziristan hanged the bodies of local bandits in the street after clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday in which up to 15 persons died. Local media reports said fighting broke out near the region's main town of Miranshah after the militants, backed by students from local Islamic religious schools, apparently refused to pay criminals extorting money from passing drivers.

Authorities are still searching for Pakistani journalist Hayatullah Khan, who was kidnapped on Monday after reporting on the alleged killing of Al-Qaeda commander Hamza Rabia in North Waziristan on December 1.

Hierarchy

Pakistani officials said Rabia, who was allegedly number three behind Osama bin Laden in the terror network's hierarchy, following an explosion inside a house.

Locals said he was killed by a missile fired from an unmanned U.S. Predator aircraft operated by the CIA.

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