05 November 2004	Friday	21 Ramazan 1425

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WANA, Nov 4: Eight soldiers were killed and nine others wounded in two landmine explosions in South Waziristan on Thursday, officials said. The landmines were activated by remote control.

Sources said that eight soldiers were killed and six others injured when their vehicle hit a landmine near Kanigoram.

An ISPR spokesman said the casualties were caused when the vehicle overturned following the explosion.

"It was a normal movement, the road there is narrow and winding, there is little room for manoeuvring," one security official said.

He said the military convoy was returning from Kanigoram to Ludda when the incident occurred at around 10.30am.

The victims were airlifted by two army helicopters to the military hospital in Bannu.

In the other incident, militants attacked security forces with remote controlled devices in the Makin area.

According to witnesses, three soldiers were wounded in the attack. They were taken to a local hospital.

The sources said that security forces and militants had exchanged fire in Karwan Manza on Wednesday night. But there was no report about any casualties.

They said helicopter gunships had targeted suspected locations in the mountainous area to flush out militants.

Military officials say about 250 militants, including 100 foreigners, and more than 170 soldiers have been killed in the offensive in the tribal region since March.