Pakistan bomb blast kills five

A BOMB exploded in a market in Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal region on the Afghan border, killing five civilians and wounding 10, officials said.

Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence since al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden was killed in a US raid in a northern Pakistani town on May 2.

Pakistani Taliban militants allied with al-Qaida have vowed to avenge bin Laden’s killing.

The latest blast occurred in Salarza area, about 15km north of the region’s main town of Khar.

“The explosive was planted somewhere in a restaurant. Many people were there when it exploded,” Saad Mohammad, a government official, told Reuters.

He said five people were killed in the blast.

Residents have formed a tribal force to fight Taliban militants in the area that borders Afghanistan.

A suicide car bomber killed 27 people in an attack outside a police station in the northwestern city of Hangu on Thursday.

Earlier in the week, Taliban assaulted a heavily guarded naval base in the southern city of Karachi, killing 10 military personnel.