PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A roadside bomb targeting a vehicle carrying troops exploded Wednesday, killing two soldiers and wounding two others in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border, the military said.

The soldiers were on patrol when the attack happened near Miran Shah, a key town in the North Waziristan district, the military said in a statement.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion fell on local militants who have been blamed by authorities for previous such attacks on security forces deployed there.

North Waziristan was a former militant base until the Pakistani military said a succession of operations there had cleared the area of Taliban fighters. However, violence has increased there in recent weeks, spreading fear among residents that the military might carry out more operations.