Troops and helicopter gunships killed up to 20 militants near the Afghan border on Friday, officials said, hours after President Pervez Musharraf warned foreign militants to leave the area.
The fighting erupted overnight after militants killed a soldier at a security post in Datakhel village, near Miranshah. "Up to 20 militants were killed when security forces responded to the rocket and small arms attack on the checkpost, in which one solider was killed," top military Spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan told AFP.
"The militants while running away left behind a few weapons also."
Sultan had no details but local and army officials said a number of foreign militants were among those who died in Friday's fighting, which started at around 2:45 am and lasted for some two hours.
"Around 20 militants, including some foreigners, were killed when security forces struck their hideout with helicopter gunships and artillery after the attack on a security post which killed one soldier and injured two others," a military official told AFP on the condition of anonymity. A local official said seven of the dead were foreign. The official added that two injured attackers were arrested, along with eight other people with suspected links to insurgents.
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