Roadside bomb kills 3 Pakistan troops

A roadside bomb attack on Monday in northwest Pakistan's restive tribal region killed three soldiers and wounded two others, officials said. A captain was killed along with two other soldiers when their vehicle hit an improvised bomb in Masuzai area of Kurram tribal district, a security official told AFP. Another security official in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan's main city, confirmed the attack, saying the troops had been patrolling around 30 kilometres (18 miles) east of Parachinar, a major town in Kurram district. Pakistani troops have been locked in deadly battles for years with homegrown insurgents in the northwestern tribal belt, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants also plot attacks on Afghan and Western targets. Kurram also suffers from violence between majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shiites. A recent surge in violence has raised questions over security as Pakistan prepares for a general election expected in May. Islamabad says more than 35,000 people have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States.