(AP) Bomb kills 7 in market in northwest Pakistan
By ANWARULLAH KHAN
Associated Press
KHAR, Pakistan
A bomb exploded in a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan close to the Afghan border on Thursday, killing at least seven people, a government official said.

The blast in Salarzai town in the Bajur tribal area also wounded over a dozen people, some of them critically, said Jehangir Azam, a local government administrator. The bomb also damaged several vehicles and shops, and rescue officials were searching through the debris for anyone trapped inside, he said.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Pakistani Taliban have a strong presence in Bajur, but the group’s spokesman, Ahsanullah Ahsan, denied they were behind the bombing.

The army has carried out several offensives against militants in Bajur, but they continue to stage attacks.