Landmine blast kills 8 family members in Pakistan

A landmine explosion today ripped through a car killing at least eight members of a family, including two minor girls, near northwest Pakistan's restive tribal Kurram agency bordering Afghanistan, officials said.
The family was travelling from Muqbal area near the border to attend a funeral when their vehicle hit the landmine killing three women, two minor girls and three men on the spot. The car was completely destroyed in the blast, hospital sources were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.
One person was also injured in the blast. The injured was shifted to a District Hospital in Parachinar for medical assistance.

The security officials have cordoned off the area and started search operation.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Kurram is one of the seven districts along the Afghan border in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which have long been home to local and foreign Islamist militants. Islamic militants operate in the area, and the Pakistani military has carried out several operations there, trying to rout the extremists.
Earlier this month, the region was the target of suspected US drone strikes, which mainly took out members of Haqqani militant network that is allied with Afghan Taliban and operates on both sides of the border.