By DPA
Islamabad : At least four soldiers were killed Friday in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province in a bomb attack by militants who support the radical Islamic students at the besieged Lal Masjid in Islamabad.
An explosion targeted a military convoy near Chakdara in Swat District, a security official told DPA on condition of anonymity.
Four soldiers were killed and several injured, some of them critically, he added.
Those soldiers were recently deployed in the area after local cleric Fazalullah, of the banned extremist Islamic organization Nifaz Shariat -I- Mohammed, announced his support for the students of Lal Masjid, the scene of running battles between militants and security forces since Tuesday morning.
The radical cleric also threatened to carry out attacks on Pakistani security forces if the siege on the Red Mosque was not ended.
The warning preceded three attacks on police officials in Swat district over the last three days, which have left six people killed including two policemen.
"It will be premature to say who might have carried out the attack," the security official said, but he did not rule the possible involvement of sympathizers of Red Mosque students.