Pakistan soldiers killed in blast

Thousands of soldiers face militants in the north-west of Pakistan

At least six Pakistani soldiers have been killed in a roadside bomb explosion in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the military says.

Seven soldiers were hurt when the blast struck their vehicle in Dir district, 80 miles north-east of Peshawar, military spokesman Shaukat Sultan said.

A local police official said the bomb appeared to be homemade.

Police say further investigations are under way. No group has said it carried out the attack.

The BBC's Haroon Rashid in Peshawar says it is the first such attack in the religiously conservative Dir area.

Detailed investigation

"It appears to be a roadside explosion according to initial reports, probably a mine," Maj-Gen Sultan told AFP news agency.

The military says that the troops were travelling to Chitral, a town near Dir, to provide security for an annual polo tournament there.

Police have cordoned off the scene as senior security officials carry out a detailed investigation.

Correspondents say that although Dir is just outside Pakistan's restive tribal belt, it has a reputation for being a hotbed of Islamic militancy.

Many Taleban fighters who fought against US troops following the World Trade Centre attack in 2001 are thought to have come from the region.

Analysts have warned that recent violence in tribal areas such as North and South Waziristan - where Pakistani security forces are battling pro-Taleban insurgents - could spill over into NWFP.

A week ago a suicide bomber blew up his car in the North Waziristan tribal zone, killing seven Pakistani soldiers.