Suicide bomber kills three soldiers in N Waziristan

MIRANSHAH: A suspected Taliban suicide bomber rammed a truck into a military checkpoint on the border with Afghanistan on Monday, killing three soldiers, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR)  said.

According to a statement issued by the ISPR, 12 others were injured, including two women.

The assault, which took place in Boya, North Waziristan, came just hours after militants disguised as security forces stormed the country's busiest airport in Karachi.

"The death toll could increase," a military official told Reuters.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the officials said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were responsible.

Last week, a suspected suicide bomber attacked a security forces vehicle in Rawalpindi, home to army headquarters, killing five people including two officers.

Sunday night's attacks on the airport in Karachi and an increasing number of assaults on military outposts in the last few weeks have all but destroyed prospects for peace talks between the TTP and the government.

In May, the armed forces launched their first major offensive in years against Taliban militants near the Afghan border after several rounds of government-led talks aimed at ending an insurgency failed.

Disagreements over how to handle the insurgency have marred relations between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the army, which has been pushing for a major military offensive.