Bomb Kills at Least 13 in Pakistan's Northwest

  22 February 2008

A roadside bomb has ripped through a vehicle carrying wedding guests in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than a dozen others.

Police say Friday's blast took place near the town of Matta in the Swat Valley region. The bride and several children were among those killed in the explosion - the first such attack since Pakistan held key parliamentary elections on Monday.

Pakistani security forces have been battling Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants in the Swat Valley for months. Troops have been carrying out an offensive to oust militants linked to a hardline Islamic cleric in the region.

Hundreds of people have died in related violence.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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