MIRAMSHAH, April 3: Seven civilians were killed and eight people, including five soldiers, injured in a renewed wave of violence in different parts of North Waziristan Agency on Monday, officials and witnesses said.

Officials said a pick-up heading from Datakhel to Miramshah had hit a remote-controlled bomb planted on a dirt track near Golla Khan Kotki, west of Miramshah.

The bomb blew up the pick-up, killing five people, including a woman and a child. Three passengers were injured in the explosion which occurred at 9:30am.

The injured were brought to the agency headquarters hospital in Miramshah.

In Mirali bazaar, an unidentified person hurled a hand-grenade on an army patrol, wounding five soldiers.

Eyewitnesses said security forces had immediately retaliated the attack and shot dead two people. The dead could not be identified.

Earlier, security forces and tribesmen exchanged fire in the troubled town after a local refused to hand over his assault rifle to the troops.

A witness said the soldiers had ordered a passer-by to surrender his weapon, but he refused and tried to escape. The troops opened fire on the fleeing man, but he managed to escape.

Following the firing, shopkeepers pulled down shutters and streets became deserted.

The authorities imposed night curfew in Mirali on March 30, 2006, and placed complete ban on display of arms and ammunition in the town.

In another act of sabotage, a truck coming from Afghanistan’s Khost province hit an explosive device near Ghulam Khan checkpoint in the North Waziristan on Monday morning.

The explosion did not cause casualty, but the truck was partially damaged.