Fourteen soldiers were killed and about 25 more injured when a security forces convoy was targeted with a roadside bomb in the lawless North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan today, officials said.

The incident occurred some 50 km from Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency, military officials told the media.

They confirmed the death of 14 soldiers.

The injured were airlifted by helicopters to nearby hospitals.

Officials were quoted by the media as saying that one truck in the convoy was destroyed by the blast and all the soldiers in it were killed.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred even though a curfew was clamped in the region to facilitate the movement of troops.

The attack came just a day after Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakimullah Mehsud reportedly directed his fighters not to target Pakistani troops in North Waziristan.

In a pamphlet distributed in the region yesterday, Mehsud directed his fighters to abide by the peace deal struck by local warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur with the government.

"O mujahideen brothers! As you know, the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban under the leadership of Mullah Muhammad Omar are engaged in jihad against the crusaders and infidels, and are supporters of each other in the ongoing holy war. The enemies do not want to see us united and disciplined against them and are being trying to divide us," Mehsud said in the pamphlet.

Mehsud reportedly said it was binding on the local Taliban to abide by the peace deal and other decisions for maintaining law and order in North Waziristan.

He said all mujahideen, including foreign fighters, should follow decisions made by the local Taliban and the government for smooth running of administrative affairs.