MIRAMSHAH, Nov 19: Seven militants, a local Taliban commander among them, were killed when their van was hit by an explosives-laden car near Mirali in North Waziristan on Tuesday. Another militant was injured.

According to sources, the eight militants were going to Khaisor village when the car coming from opposite direction and apparently driven by a suicide bomber rammed into their van. Qari Saifuddin, TTP’s commander of Zonikhel area in FR Bannu, and three militants died on the spot and four others who were injured were taken to a hospital in Mirali where three of them died.

The sources said that both the vehicles caught fire after the collision.

AFP adds: There was no immediate claim of responsibility and the motive of the attack was not clear but in the past militant groups have carried out suicide attacks against each other in the tribal belt.