The officials say three militants were also wounded by Tuesday’s blast in Pir Khel village in the South Waziristan tribal area. The fighters were followers of Maulvi Nazir, a prominent local Taliban commander.

The officials say one of the injured militants was the son of Nazir’s close associate, Tehsil Khan. Khan has played a role in evicting Uzbek militants from the area and has survived attempts on his life.

It’s unclear whether Tuesday’s incident was related to Khan’s activities.

The intelligence officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.