Islamabad - Fierce fighting at a paramilitary fort in
Pakistan's troubled Mohmand tribal region on Sunday killed at least
six soldiers and 45 Islamist militants, the military said.
Meanwhile, 13 people were killed in sectarian clashes in another
north-western district, raising the death toll in three days of
clashes to 39.
More than 500 rebels attacked the paramilitary compound at around
2am (2100 GMT) in the Lakaro area of Mohmand district, a militant
stronghold near the Afghan border, an officer told Deutsche Presse-
Agentur dpa on condition of anonymity.
'Six security personnel were killed and six others were wounded,'
he said.
The officer said government troops killed at least 45 rebels in
combat. Casualty figures could not be confirmed independently.
A statement issued by the military later in the day said most of
the militants were foreigners, who came from areas along the Afghan
frontier and joined their local allies to launch a coordinated attack
on the Frontier Corps personnel stationed at the fort.
'The clashes continued for more than five hours as the militants
kept offering resistance until they recovered their comrades who were
killed or injured in the fighting,' the officer said.
In the morning, army helicopter gunships made several sorties,
pounding the suspected militant hideouts. However, there were no
reports of any casualties in the aerial strikes.
Mohmand lies close to the Bajaur tribal district, a stronghold of
al-Qaeda and Taliban militants launching cross-border attacks on the
US-led international forces in Afghanistan.
A running offensive launched by the government troops last year in
Bajaur had so far killed more than 1,500 militants, forcing many of
them to retreat to adjoining lawless areas.
Media reports said authorities demolished houses of four Mohmand
tribesmen Saturday for providing shelter to Taliban insurgents.
Separately, hundreds of heavily-armed fighters from rival Sunni
and Shiite groups continued their gunfights in the streets of Hangu
town and its adjoining villages on Sunday.
Thirteen people were killed and dozens more were injured, the
DawNews television channel cited official sources as saying. Fresh
casualties took the death toll in the running battles, which started
on Friday night, to 39.
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