Fatal Attack on Pakistan Troops

At least 18 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in an attack on an army vehicle in the northern region of Swat. The attack comes one day after the army deployed 2500 more troops in the area to combat rising militancy. Some civilians are reported to be among the dead. More than 35 people were taken to the hospital for treatment. The Swat valley in North West Frontier Province has become a stronghold of an anti-government militant leader, Maulana Fazullah. He has reportedly used radio broadcasts to call for jihad, or holy war, against the Pakistani authorities.