A rocket attack close to an election rally wounded at least eight people on Friday in a troubled tribal district on the Afghan border, officials said. The attack took place in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan. "At least eight people were wounded when three rockets fired by unknown people exploded near an election meeting," a senior security official in the area told AFP by telephone on condition of anonymity.
One rocket fell in Wana bazaar, a second exploded outside the house of local independent candidate Malik Naseerullah Khan and the third near the rally being attended by "hundreds of people", the official said. It was not immediately clear if anyone at the rally was hurt, he added.
A second security official confirmed the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but local tribesmen said the Taliban had banned political rallies in or around Wana bazaar and Khan had been fined for holding a rally in the area two days ago. May 11 general election marks the first time that political parties can contest the vote in the semi-autonomous tribal belt. The outgoing government introduced the reform in a bid to eliminate militancy.