Suicide bomber kills anti-Taliban lawmaker in attack on his house in Pakistan’s Swat Valley

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Suicide bomber kills Pakistan provincial lawmaker

ISLAMABAD — A teenage suicide bomber killed an anti-Taliban lawmaker in his house in Pakistan’s Swat Valley on Tuesday, showing the militant threat in the region remains months after a military push there was declared a success.

The blast in the northwestern Afghan border region came as President Barack Obama prepared to announce a new strategy to defeat the insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the U.S. says al-Qaida and Taliban militants still enjoy safe haven.

The attacker blew himself up among guests greeting provincial assembly member Shamsher Khan in his house close to the main Swat Valley town of Mingora, police and hospital officials said. Nine other people were wounded, including the lawmaker’s brother.

Pakistan is under intense U.S. pressure to crack down on militants in the northwest that frequently attack U.S. and Afghan forces across the border.

In April, the military launched a three-month offensive in the Swat Valley and largely cleared the region of the thousands of Taliban based there. In mid-October, the army launched a major assault in the border region of South Waziristan that has reclaimed several towns.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Tuesday’s attack would not derail the government’s efforts against the insurgents.

“Such reprehensible acts can never defeat our resolve to root out terrorism and militancy,” he said.

Khan was a member of the secular Awami National Party, which is in power in northwest Pakistan and has been a vocal supporter of army offensives against militants in the region.

Regional police chief Idrees Khan said the bomber’s head was severed from his body and he appeared to be about 16 years old.

He said the overall security situation in Swat Valley remained under control despite the continued threat from militants.

“The Taliban have been struggling to reassert their presence since their defeat,” he said. “This incident will not shatter the faith and nerves of the people of Swat.”

Associated Press writer Asif Shahzad contributed to this report.