An official said a bomb has killed six members of an anti-Taliban militia on Wednesday in a north-western town close to the Afghan border. Authorities in Pakistan have encouraged the formation of militias to counter the Taliban, but the militants have ruthlessly attacked the poorly equipped and disorganised tribal forces. Government official Faramosh Khan says the anti-Taliban fighters were travelling in bus in the Bajaur region when a remote control bomb exploded.
The Pakistani Taliban and allied extremists are strong across the north-west, especially in regions like Bajaur where the state has little presence. The army has carried out offensives against the militants who have carried out scores of attacks across Pakistan.