JOIN USSeparately, Taliban militants killed two men in the same region, accusing them for spying for the United States, while a blast ripped through an oil tanker carrying supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan, killing two people in Pakistan's southwestern province. Local police officer Mohammad Aslam said that an explosion took place in the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Paktunkhwa province, formerly known as North West Frontier Province.
"Three children aged between 10 and 13 died in the blast while one child and a man were injured," said Aslam. "The nature of the blast is not known yet. Our bomb disposal squad is on the spot and they are collecting evidence to determine what sort of bomb that was". Peshawar has seen dozens of bombings carried out by Taliban militants who have intensified attacks to avenge Pakistan's ongoing assaults in their strongholds in lawless tribal region along Afghan border.
The US has encouraged Islamabad to target Taliban and Al Qaeda militants who launch regular cross-border raids from their hideouts in rouged tribal region on international forces into Afghanistan. In addition to the efforts by around 150,000 Pakistani troops against Islamist insurgency, the American CIA has also launched a covet war in Pakistan's tribal region with unmanned drone aircrafts.
More than 900 people, most of them Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, have been killed in the missiles attacks carried out by the drones since August 2008. Following almost every drone strike Taliban respond with killing alleged US spies who they believe guide the drones by planting electronic devices near possible targets. On Wednesday, residents found the bodies of two people dumped in Miranshah, the main town in tribal district of North Waziristan that is a major bastion of militants.
An intelligence official said that a note attached with the bodies comprised a promise from Taliban for the same fate for all those who "intended to spy for the Americans". North Waziristan has been severely hit by drone attacks in recent months. Twenty-four people died in two US aerial attacks in the district on Tuesday. Also on Wednesday, a blast destroyed a tanker carrying fuel supplies for the NATO troops in the landlocked Afghanistan, killing two by-passers and injuring two more.
The attack took place in Chaman, the main border town in south-western Baluchistan province that adjoins Afghan province of Kandahar. "One child and a man died in the attack, while two more were wounded," said Ata Mohammad of the border security police. "Several shops near the bombing place also caught fire". Mohammad suspected that Taliban could be behind the bombing.