Pakistani officials say a roadside bomb has exploded in the country's northwestern tribal region, killing at least 14 people.

Wednesday's blast struck a minibus in the Orakzai tribal agency along the Afghan border, a known hub for Taliban- and al-Qaida-linked militants. The dead include three women and three children.

Also Wednesday, Pakistan security officials said the head of the country's military spy agency will meet with his American counterpart outside Washington later this month, in a bid to ease ongoing tensions between the two countries.

Officials say Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency chief, Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam, is set to hold talks with CIA Director David Petraeus on counterterrisom cooperation and intelligence sharing.