Roadside blast kills two bomb disposal officers in Pakistan

PESHAWAR,Pakistan,
Two bomb disposal technicians died
in a roadside bomb explosion as they
cleared a route for troops in a restive
Pakistan tribal region near the Afghan
boarder ,official said,

The incident took place in the Barwand
area of South Waziristan tribal district,
one of Pakistan 's seven semi-autonomous
tribal regions,which is considered a strong
hold of Taliban militants,

"Two bomb disposal officials were clearing
the route for troop movement when an
improvised explosive device went off
killing both of them;"a senior security
official told AFP,

The semi- autonomous areas on the Afghan
boarder  have for years been hide out for
Islamist militants for all stripes ,including
Al -Qaeda and the Pakistan Taliban as well
as foreign fighters such as Uzbeks and
Uighurts

Pakistan began a long awaited push to
clear insurgent from North Waziristan
last June after a bloody Taliban  attack
on Karachi airport finally sank flatering
peace talks,Washington has pressed Islamabad
for years to wipe out the sancturaries in the
North Waziristan tribal area which militans
have used to launch attacks on NATO
forces in Afghasitan,

Air strikes aritllery,mortars and ground
troop have been used to take back
territory ,AFP