Chief military spokesman Gen Waheed Arshad said 11 soldiers were wounded in the blast, six seriously. He could not confirm whether any of the victims were involved in the Red Mosque raid. "The commandos were taking dinner in their mess at Tarbela town when a suspected suicide bomber blew himself up at its gate," a security official told Agence France Presse news agency.
| Prolly breaking their Ramadan fast. Sheesh. |
The latest fighting coincides with a visit to Pakistan by the American deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte. In talks with Mr Negroponte, President Musharraf said Pakistan's commitment to fighting the militants should never be doubted. Earlier there was heavy fighting between Pakistani troops and pro-Taleban militants near the Afghan border which left dozens dead, both sides say. The army says it has killed up to 70 militants. The rebels say twice that number of troops are dead. Neither claim can be independently verified.