Civil war in Pakistan, all the ingredients are present and unless the situation can be neutralized they are off to a good start.
There are even unconfirmed reports that US soldiers have been involved in the shooting and were being given a free run in the tribal areas.
The arrest of the 16 tribal chiefs in South Waziristan who they say were not cooperating in rounding up al-Qaeda and Taliban elements hiding in the region by Pakistan authorities seems a shortsighted move.
The tribal people, all 5.7 million, are granted maximum autonomy and allowed to run their affairs in accordance with their Islamic faith, customs and traditions.
We will probably read of more explosions and attacks directed against the paramilitary soldiers and not solely the work of terrorists.
If we are involved and this escalates it will not bode well for Bush. -Am
Pakistan tribal chiefs arrested
Pakistani forces have been active in the South Waziristan tribal area
Pakistan authorities have arrested 16 tribal chiefs in South Waziristan who they say were not cooperating in rounding up al-Qaeda and Taliban elements hiding in the region. Officials based in Wanna told the BBC that the arrests, on Wednesday, were intended to encourage the tribes to assist Pakistani forces operating in the area.
Lying on the border with Afghanistan, South Waziristan is part of Pakistan's western tribal areas, semi-autonomous states which are often described as 'no-man's land.'
But local official Rehmatullah Wazir denied the move could further fuel tensions in the region, which is said to boast strong ideological ties with the Taleban.
He said the arrests were a calculated decision and would soon bear fruit.
Tensions have been running high in the region since the end of February after the death of 11 people - allegedly at the hands of Pakistani soldiers - on the Afghan border.
In recent weeks the Pakistani army has conducted several operations against al-Qaeda and Taleban suspects, who are believed to be hiding in the area.
WANA: A remote-controlled bomb exploded near a military vehicle injuring one paramilitary soldier on Thursday, the latest in a wave of attacks against Pakistani forces deployed in a tribal region near the Afghan border to hunt for terrorist suspects.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan tribal region, said Rehmatullah Wazir, a local government official.
About eight paramilitary soldiers on a security patrol had parked their pickup truck in a bazaar when the bomb exploded, blowing off a tire, Wazir said. One soldier was hit and injured by a piece of metal.
Pakistani troops have conducted a series of military operations near Wana, about 300 km west of Pakistan 's capital, Islamabad . Last week, troops backed by helicopter gunships and artillery raided three homes near Wana, arresting 25 suspects -- none of whom appear to be senior al-Qaeda figures.
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