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Blast in northwest Pakistan kills 15

September 16, 2012 14:35 IST

At least 15 people were killed and six others injured on Sunday when a van they were traveling in was targetted with a roadside bomb in Pakistan's troubled northwest.

The bomb was detonated by remote control when the van was passing through the restive Lower Dir district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province this morning, police officials said.

More than 20 passengers were in the van that was heading to Munda, a key town in the area, they said, adding 15 people were killed in the blast. The six injured were taken to a nearby hospital.

Police said all those who died were civilians. Witnesses said the van was destroyed by the blast. A police team conducted a search operation in the area but no one was arrested.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack though such incidents are usually blamed on the Pakistani Taliban. The Taliban had been active in the area but security forcesrecently cleared most of the region of the militants.

The police said terrorists routinely target people in the region for supporting the security forces.

PTI
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