Eight Pakistani soldiers and 12 insurgents have been killed in fighting in north-western Pakistan, local officials say.
They say militants - armed with rockets and heavy weapons - attacked a security checkpoint in the volatile Waziristan region early on Thursday.
Security forces then responded by opening fire and killing 12 rebels.
Details of the attack are still sketchy, but one report said Taliban militants were involved in the assault.
Reports say that more than 100 militants armed with rocket launchers and other weapons attacked the checkpoint in South Waziristan near the Afghan border.
Earlier this month a top al-Qaeda operative, Ilyas Kashmiri, was killed in a US drone strike in the tribal region of South Waziristan.
Militants in Pakistan have vowed to avenge his killing, as well as the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. He was killed by US forces in a garrison city north of Islamabad on 2 May.
Many militants are believed to be sheltering in the semi-autonomous tribal regions of North and South Waziristan - the area has been described by the US as the "most dangerous place on earth."
No comments:
Post a Comment