Militants abducted four paramilitary soldiers in a tribal area on Tuesday in the first such incident since the death of opposition leader Benazir, officials said. Militants, believed to be loyal to alleged al Qaeda leader Baitullah Mehsud, seized the soldiers as they descended from their observation post on a hill near Makeen in South Waziristan.
The military said five militants had been killed and 20 others detained amid fighting following the abduction of the four soldiers. "Troops retaliated and launched an operation supported by artillery fire," the statement said. "Security forces apprehended 20 miscreants and killed five others." The militants had launched rocket and mortar attacks on a military base near Ladda town from rugged terrain bordering Afghanistan, a security official said.