Five Pakistani soldiers were killed and four injured in a bomb attack on a security forces convoy in the north Waziristan tribal region on Thursday.

Military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said the convoy was targeted with an improvised explosive device. The convoy was going from north Waziristan to Bannu, a major city at the edge of the tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but authorities usually blame such strikes on local Taliban-linked militants. Attacks on security forces have increased in north Waziristan after local Taliban scrapped a peace deal with the government in July.

The two sides had signed the peace deal in September 2006, but the Taliban ended the deal and accused the authorities of violating the agreement. The government had denied the Taliban's claim.