17 troops killed in bombing on Afghanistan-Pakistan border; Separate bombing kills dozens of civilians

July 19, 2007 At least 17 Pakistani troops were killed Thursday when their convoy was bombed and attacked by al-Qaeda militants on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in North Waziristan, and the U.S. says that they may attack targets inside Pakistan, if they see them as being "actionable."

"We never take options off the table, and if we find actionable targets, we're going to hit them. [Terrorist hideouts are] something that's absolutely going to have to be addressed. There's no doubt that more aggressive steps need to be taken [against the terrorists]," said Tony Snow, the White House's Press Secretary, during a press conference today.

The U.S. believes that terrorists, who are loyal to al-Qaeda's leader Osama bin laden are currently seeking shelter in the regions near the borders of the two countries.

At least 35 civilians and 9 police officers were killed and nearly two dozen were injured in a separate bombing when a suicide car bomber blew up a Chinese military convoy in Pakistan's southwest industrial district. None of the Chinese military personnel were injured or killed.

"The bomber driving a Mazda car blew himself up," said Tariq Khosa, the police chief of Baluchistan province who also added that the area was "very crowded."