Bomb blast kills 3 Pakistani forces near Afghan border

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A Pakistani security official says a bomb blast near the Afghan border has killed three security personnel.

Local administration official Rehmat Khan says a paramilitary soldier was wounded in Saturday’s blast near a security checkpoint in North Waziristan, which was a longtime stronghold for the Taliban, al-Qaida and other militant groups. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan claims to have driven out the militants in a series of military operations in recent years, but the region still sees occasional attacks.

Last year, the government merged North Waziristan with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province to give equal rights to the 5 million residents of the rugged, tribal region.