Story highlights
A roadside bomb explodes near a passenger van in the Bajaur district
The Bajaur district is a former base of operations for the Taliban
There is no claim of responsibility for the attack
Five people were killed and 13 others were injured Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded near a passenger van in militant-plagued northwest Pakistan, officials told CNN.
The blast occurred near a village in Bajaur, a district in Pakistan’s tribal region bordering Afghanistan, local government official Islam Zeb said.
Bajaur had emerged as a base for the Pakistani Taliban until the Pakistani military launched an offensive against the insurgents in 2008.
The Pakistani army has twice declared that it has defeated the Taliban in Bajaur, but sporadic militant attacks continue to afflict the area.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, officials said.