Gunmen kill 2 Pak officials, guard in ambush

Miranshah (Pakistan), Feb 1: Gunmen killed two Pakistanigovernment officials and a guard in an ambush today in a tribal regionnear the Afghan border where security forces are battling militants, asecurity official said.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack in the NorthWaziristan region, though militants linked to al Qaeda and the Talibanhave been blamed for numerous such incidents in the past.

The district-level officials were travelling in a car with a guardand three other people when gunmen in a car ambushed them near the townof Mir Ali, a security official said.

Police returned fire, shattering windows in the gunmen's car butthey managed to escape, said the security official, who declined to beidentified. It was not known if any of the attackers were wounded orkilled.

Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt on the Afghan border isnotorious for violent feuds between members of ethnic Pashtun tribes.

But numerous government officials and pro-government triballeaders have been killed in the area since security forces launched ahunt for militants in late 2003 as part of Pakistan's efforts in theUS-led war on terrorism.

The government struck a peace pact in the region in Septemberaimed at ending attacks on security forces and militant raids intoAfghanistan but intermittent violence has continued.

Tension has risen since a Pakistani air strike on a militant camp last month that killed up to 20 people.

Reuters>