Two soldiers among 16 killed in Khar suicide attack

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a military checkpoint in Khar on Saturday, killing 16 people including two soldiers, officials said. A man wearing a vest packed with explosives walked up to the post in Khar, the main town of Bajaur, and detonated himself, senior administration official Iqbal Khattak told AFP.
"So far 16 deaths have been confirmed, two of them were paramilitary soldiers," he said, adding that more than 20 others, all civilians, were wounded. A senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the blast and casualties.
The man wanted to proceed towards nearby government buildings and military barracks but the soldiers stopped him, he said. The soldiers were killed when the attacker blew himself up. Three vehicles and four shops were destroyed in the bombing, Khattak said. The suicide attack came a day after security forces killed 24 suspected militants in air strikes and clashes on Friday in the district plagued by Taliban insurgents.