Three killed in Pakistan blast

At least three persons, including two soldiers, were killed and seven others injured when a roadside bomb went off in the restive Orakzai tribal region of northwest Pakistan today.

The blast occurred in Ibrahim Zai village of Orakzai tribal agency when a vehicle was passing by, officials said.

Three persons, including two soldiers, were killed in the attack, they said. The injured -- a soldier and six tribesmen -- were taken to a nearby hospital.

Security forces cordoned off the area after the blast and launched a search operation.

No group claimed responsibility for the blast in the region, where hundreds of people have died in sectarian clashes between Shia and Sunni tribesmen over the past three years.

The situation was exacerbated after the Taliban infiltrated the area and began backing the Sunnis.