ISLAMABAD (AP): Pakistan said on Sunday it is halting a major military operation against insurgents in a tribal region in honor of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a move welcomed by a Taliban spokesman.

Separately, an explosion ripped through a house elsewhere along the Afghan border in the volatile northwest, reportedly killing at least four people in what an official said may have been a missile strike.

Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said the military offensive in Bajur would be suspended by early Monday. Army spokesman Maj. Murad Khan said late Sunday the military activity had already been halted. Both warned that troops would still retaliate against any militant attacks.

The U.S. has pushed Pakistan to crack down on militants in its northwest tribal regions, fearing Taliban and al-Qaida-linked fighters involved in attacks on American and NATO forces in Afghanistan use those areas as safe zones.

Pakistan's five-month-old government at first tried peace talks with militants, but those efforts bore little fruit. It has turned to force in recent weeks, including using air power to strike insurgent hide-outs.

The operation in Bajur, a rumored hide-out of Osama bin Laden, has killed 562 Islamist insurgents and displaced more than 300,000 people, Malik said.

The government has faced political turbulence at the same time.

A united ruling coalition forced Pervez Musharraf _ a longtime U.S. ally in its war on terror _ to quit the presidency on Aug. 18. The coalition then rapidly fell apart over disputes about Musharraf's successor and how to reinstate judges he fired last year.

Asif Ali Zardari, the head of the main ruling Pakistan People's Party and the widower of slain ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is considered the favorite to win lawmakers' votes for the presidency on Sept. 6.

Many Pakistanis blame the rising violence in their country on Musharraf's decision to support the U.S. war on terror.

The People's Party is considered generally in line with the U.S. goals, but because of deep anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, it has to tread carefully on the topic.

On Sunday, Malik insisted Pakistan was not taking orders from the U.S. on how to fight extremists in its midst. ``We are fighting this war. This is our war. There is no question of America's dictation,'' Malik said.

A string of suicide bombings has rattled Pakistan in recent days. The Pakistani Taliban have taken credit, calling the attacks revenge for operations in Bajur and the Swat Valley area.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar said the suspension of the operation in Bajur was welcome, and he reiterated an offer of negotiation with the government. However, he said militants would not lay down their arms as the government has demanded.

Umar also said that, as a gesture of goodwill, the militants would release six paramilitary troops out of 30 they claim to have in captivity.

Malik said the Bajur operation would be suspended, but a decision on Swat required notices by the provincial government. Wajid Ali Khan, a top official with the North West Frontier Province, said a decision could come later Sunday.

``The operation in Swat is in high gear, but the holy month's sanctity requires that people spend it in peace and harmony,'' Khan said, adding, ``It shouldn't be a one-way affair.''

It has been nearly impossible to confirm the death tolls and the scope of either the Bajur or Swat violence because of the dangerous and remote nature of the areas. Officials have not given any statistics on civilian deaths, though witnesses have reported dozens.

Since the Bajur operation began nearly a month ago, many of the displaced _ including large numbers of women and children _ are now living in sweltering, mosquito-infested relief camps in conditions that have alarmed aid groups.

Malik said the displaced from Bajur should feel free to return ``without any fear'' for Ramadan, but nonetheless did not commit to an end to the operation.

Meanwhile, in the North Waziristan tribal region, witnesses and a local intelligence official said a blast destroyed a house and that a missile strike was suspected.

At least four people were believed killed in the explosion Sunday in Tapi village, said the intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the nature of his job.

Local militants immediately surrounded the site, said area residents Ayaz Khan and Noor Rehman. Both said they saw a drone in the air before the explosion at about 3 p.m.

On Saturday, a blast ripped through a home in Wana, a main town in the South Waziristan tribal region, killing at least five militants, said Afzal Khan, a local official.

Two local intelligence officials said it was believed caused by a missile. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The U.S. is believed to be behind many missile strikes against suspected militant hide-outs in Pakistan's tribal regions.