The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Peshawar

Two policemen were killed as they tried to defuse a roadside bomb in troubled northwestern Pakistan, while two Islamic militants died in a blast at their house, officials said.

The incidents occurred in the picturesque Swat Valley, a former tourist spot where security forces have been battling Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants led by a radical cleric since late last year. A police patrol spotted the roadside bomb planted near Charbagh village on the main road through the valley, local police officer Jan Bahadur said.

"A police bomb disposal unit was trying to defuse it when it exploded, killing two officials and wounding two others," Bahadur told AFP.

The police official added that two militants were killed overnight in an explosion in their house in Kabal district in the Swat region.