Attacks on Pakistani forces spark fears of backlash over crackdown on al-Qaida

A BOMBING and a series of rocket attacks on Pakistani forces have raised fears that their bloody offensive against al-Qaida militants could be provoking a broad backlash.

Pakistani forces, however, reported no fighting with al-Qaida militants yesterday in South Waziristan, where thousands of troops have been battling hundreds of militants and their tribal supporters.

A roadside bomb exploded late on Tuesday in northwestern Pakistan as an army vehicle passed as part of the military's sweep against suspected terrorists holed up in the rugged tribal regions along the Afghan border, police said.