Bomb hits police vehicle in northwest Pakistan, killing 1 civilian, wounding 8 people

Bomb kills 1, wounds 8 in northwest Pakistan

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol killed a passer-by and wounded eight people in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, police said.

The attack in Dera Ismail Khan showed that Islamist militants continue to be active in the Afghan border region despite army offensives aimed at eliminating their hideouts.

Senior police official Aslam Khatak said the attack happened as the patrol vehicle traveled through the gritty town, which lies near Pakistan’s lawless, Taliban-riddled tribal belt. Among the wounded was an area police official who played an important role in arresting militants, he said. Six policemen and two civilians also were wounded.

A bomb that also targeted a police patrol in the city in May killed 13 people, including an area police officer who had received threats from insurgents.