PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — A suicide car bomber struck a military truck in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 20 people two days after troops were sent to the lawless region to quell pro-Taliban militants.
The blast came a week after the bloody assassination attempt in the southern city of Karachi on ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who plans to start traveling elsewhere in Pakistan on Saturday.
The latest attack underlined the worsening security situation in the country, particularly in the conservative tribal region near the border with Afghanistan where militants linked to the Taliban and al-Qaeda increasingly hold sway. The rise of militancy in the region has shaken the authority of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in its war on terrorism.
The bomber hit a truck carrying about 45 Frontier Constabulary forces near the main police station in Swat district, where 2,500 paramilitary troops were deployed this week to counter a militant cleric. The blast tipped the truck on its side and detonated ammunition inside.
Police officer Ajab Khan said 20 people were killed and 34 wounded, mostly soldiers. Some bystanders in shops and restaurants along the road were also hit.
Police said it was a suicide attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The paramilitary troops were deployed to the area Tuesday to confront militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah, who has called for Taliban-style rule and holy war against the government.
But Fazlullah’s spokesman denied the cleric’s involvement in the bombing, saying he wanted peace in the region. The cleric was only trying to impose Shariah, or Islamic law, by punishing criminals, including “murderers, abductors and wine drinkers.”
Thursday, Bhutto announced a plan to travel to her hometown of Larkana on Saturday to pay homage at her father’s tomb, about 270 miles northwest of Karachi.
She has also indicated that she plans to travel to Lahore and the capital of Islamabad, despite her fear she will be attacked again.
She told reporters authorities had yet to meet her requests for a vehicle with darkened windows, for her guards to carry guns, and for four police cars to escort her car, instead of the current two.
Police in Larkana said they were confident they could protect her. About 300 police officers are deployed at the airport or along roads she might use.
