Blast Kills 4 In Pakistan Tribal Region

Islamabad, April 21, IRNA -- A bomb blast Saturday killed at least four people in a Pakistani tribal region, officials in the region said. The blast occurred outside gate of hospital in Bajaur tribal area, they said. Hospital sources confirmed that four people died and five others were injured. They said that an employee of hospital was among those killed. No group claimed responsibility. Authorities blame such attacks on the Taliban. Bajaur, bordering Afghanistan, had been a stronghold of the Taliban until 2008, however, the security forces cleared the region of Taliban militants as the result of major offensives. Many security men and militants had been killed in the 2008-9 operations and some Taliban leaders had fled to neighboring Afghanistan, officials say. Afghan authorities arrested a senior Pakistani Taliban leader, Maulvi Faqir, in February, who is wanted to Pakistan for attacks on the security forces. Faqir, who belongs to Bajaur, had been the deputy chief of the Taliban. Afghan govˈt has refused to hand over Faqir to Pakistan on the plea that the two countries have no extradition treaty./end