Militants blew up a security vehicle in a tribal area, killing a policeman and wounding seven others, while four more officers were kidnapped, officials said on Sunday. The attacks were both in Bajaur district bordering Afghanistan, a stronghold of the banned militant group Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi, which has links to a radical mosque under siege in the Pakistani capital.
"The vehicle was carrying eight policemen to Khar, the main town in the district, when it was attacked by a remote-controlled explosive device," local official Fazal Nabi said. "One policeman died on the spot and seven others were wounded." Earlier, militants fired a rocket at a police checkpost between Bajaur and neighbouring Mohmand tribal districts just after midnight Saturday and abducted four officers, local official Yar Mohammad said.
"They kidnapped four tribal policemen and took them to an unknown place," he said, adding that efforts were being made to trace the policemen. Security officials say they suspect several recent attacks, including an attempt to shoot down President Pervez Musharraf's plane on Friday, appeared to be linked to the crackdown against the Red Mosque in the capital.
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