Suicide attack kills at least 35 Pakistani troops

A suicide bomber on a motorbike killed at least 35 soldiers and injured scores today at a military training center in Northwest Frontier Province, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said.

The attack in the town of Dargai took place nine days after the Pakistani army killed at least 80 suspected Islamic militants in an airstrike on a madrasa, or religious school, in the nearby village of Chingai.

Thousands of tribesmen in the area had vowed to seek revenge for last week’s military strike, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility for today’s attack.

Authorities said the attacker blew himself up at a training ground where soldiers were doing their regular morning exercises.

Few details were immediately available because access to the training center was blocked.

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday defended last week’s strike in Chingai, saying terrorism is a threat to national security that will be crushed.

At a military commanders meeting in Rawalpindi, Musharraf said security forces had evidence that militants were being trained at the madrasa.

“There were also intelligence reports about active involvement of these militant leaders in terrorist activities,” he said.

Area residents described the victims as madrasa students, and 20,000 marched in the nearby town of Khar last week calling for the deaths of Musharraf and President Bush.

U.S. and Pakistani officials have denied any American involvement in the airstrike.