10 killed, 15 injured in suicide blast in northwest Pakistan

A suicide bomber struck a convoy of buses near a market in northwest Pakistan today, killing at least 10 people and injuring 15 others, including women and children.     The suicide attacker, who was on foot, detonated his explosives when the convoy neared a petrol pump in Thal area of Hangu district in North West Frontier Province.Kohat Commissioner Khalid Khan confirmed it was a suicide attack.     Other officials said at least 10 people were killed and 15 others injured. Several women and children were among the injured, who were rushed to nearby hospitals.The convoy that was targeted by the bomber was going to Parachinar, the main town of Kurram tribal region, which has been rocked by sectarian violence for more than two years.Three vehicles in the convoy were destroyed by the blast.The market in Thal was closed after the blast and security forces cordoned off the area.     Vehicles travelling to Kurram tribal agency from NWFP usually move in convoys as militants have attacked solitary buses and trucks in the past.The sectarian violence in Kurram took a turn for the worse after Taliban fighters moved into the area and began backing Sunni tribesmen in clashes against Shia rivals.Hundreds of people have died in clashes between Shia and Sunni groups in Kurram over the past two years.    The road to the tribal region was closed for many months because of the violence.