22 killed in Pakistan violence

Miranshah-At least 22 people were killed on Saturday in spiralling violence in northwestern Pakistan as international concern grew over the deteriorating security situation and al-Qaeda threat along the Afghan border.Soldiers repulsed an attack by pro-Taliban militants in North Waziristan, and a suicide car bomber struck in another tribal area bordering Afghanistan.North Waziristan is regarded as a hotbed of al-Qaeda and Taliban support,and the US is expecting the Pakistani military to strike at select targets after militants abandoned a peace pact in the semi-autonomous tribal region last month.While there has been no offensive yet,the army has reinforced check posts and stepped up patrols,provoking a series of attacks in recent weeks that have added to mounting concern over the country's a deteriorating security situation.How to make Pakistan do more to eradicate al-Qaeda hideouts has become a hot topic in the US election campaign,with Democratic hopeful Barack Obama talking of American forces conducting
operations or strikes inside Pakistani territory.During a telephone call to President Pervez Musharraf,US President George W Bush said this kind of talk was "unsavoury",and assured the Pakistani leader Washington respected its ally's sovereignty,the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on Friday.On the ground,in a pre-dawn attack on Saturday,militants bombarded a check post in the Dosali area,some 40 km south of Miranshah,North Waziristan's main town.Troops repulsed the guerrillas when they launched a direct assault on the post.
To read more go to:
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2158764,00.html
As in the days of Noah...