Suicide bomber kills Pakistani troops in Waziristan

PESHAWAR, June 26 (Reuters) A suicide car bomber rammed a Pakistani paramilitary checkpost today, killing at least six troopers in a tribal region where the army has been fighting al Qaeda and pro-Taliban militants for months, officials said.

The attack in North Waziristan came a day after a commander with the pro-Taliban militants said a month-long ceasefire had been called to give time for tribal elders to broker a settlement to end the conflict in the semi-autonomous region.

''We can confirm at the moment that a car packed with explosives rammed a checkpost on the Bannu-Miranshah road,'' a government official told Reuters.

Two intelligence sources said seven troopers were killed in the blast, while a third said six were killed and five wounded.

REUTERS SHR ND1716