22 killed in guerrilla raid, suicide attack in Pakistan

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MIRANSHAH, Aug 4 (Reuters): At least 22 people were killed Saturday in spiraling violence in northwestern Pakistan as international concern grew over the deteriorating security situation and al Qaeda threat along the Afghan border.
Soldiers repulsed an attack by pro-Taliban militants in North Waziristan, and a suicide car bomber struck in another tribal area bordering Afghanistan.
North Waziristan is regarded as a hotbed of al Qaeda and Taliban support, and the United States is expecting the Pakistani military to strike at select targets after militants abandoned a peace pact in the semi-autonomous tribal region last month.
While there has been no offensive yet, the army has reinforced check posts and stepped up patrols, provoking a series of attacks in recent weeks that have added to mounting concern over the country's a deteriorating security situation.
How to make Pakistan do more to eradicate al Qaeda hideouts has become a hot topic in the US election campaign, with Democratic hopeful Barack Obama talking of American forces conducting operations or strikes inside Pakistani territory.
During a telephone call to President Pervez Musharraf, US President George W. Bush said this kind of talk was "unsavory," and assured the Pakistani leader Washington respected its ally's sovereignty, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Friday.
On the ground, in a pre-dawn attack Saturday, militants bombarded a check post in the Dosali area, some 40 km (25 miles) south of Miranshah, North Waziristan's main town.
Troops repulsed the guerrillas when they launched a direct assault on the post.