Militant attacks in northwestern Pakistan, 8 killed

Officials say 2 militant attacks in northwestern Pakistan have killed 8 people, including 5 policemen. The police say the attacks took place on Tuesday morning on the outskirts of Peshawar city and in the neighboring district of Charsadda.

Officials say two militant attacks in northwestern Pakistan have killed eight people, including five policemen.

The police say the attacks took place on Tuesday morning on the outskirts of Peshawar city and in the neighboring district of Charsadda.

Police officer Fazal Wahid says gunmen ambushed a police patrol near Peshawar, killing five policemen and a civilian. Twenty policemen were wounded.

Another officer, Shafiullah Khan, says that in the Charsadda attack, a bomb rigged to a motorcycle exploded close to a police van, killing two bystanders. Provincial police chief Nasir Durrani says the attacks could be retaliation for recent arrests of militants in the region.

The Pakistani government has been trying to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban, who last week called off a one-month ceasefire they announced in March.