Friday, June 2 2006 16:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Four Pakistani soldiers were killed and eight others injured today (June 2, 2006) when two suicide bombers rammed thier explosives-laden car into a military convoy in the country's restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

"It was a suicide attack," army spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said.

"The attackers rammed their white car into a military convoy when it was heading to Mir Ali, a major town in North Waziristan (tribal area) at 10:30 am," he said.

The spokesman said the security forces would give a response, but declined to give details.

The attack, which was carried out at Baka Khel area, left four soldiers deal and eight injured.

Witnesses said the injured soldiers were taken to a military hospital in Bannu and were stated to be in a critical condition. The vehicle of the security forces, which was targeted in the attack, was destroyed.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The spokesman said that an investigation has been launched to find out who was behind the attack, adding that efforts were underway to identity the bombers.

The militants have been attacking security forces in the tribal region for the past several months but local tribesmen said the suicide bombing was a new element in their strategy.

The attack coincided with a statement from Lt Gen (Retd) Ali Jan Orakzai, the new Governor of North West Frontier Province, that the Army would not be withdrawn from the tribal region till the militants were cleared from there.

Orakzai told a tribal 'jirga' or council of elders in Peshawar today that tribesmen should help the army purge militants from the region.

He, however, said al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was not hiding in the tribal region.