Fierce fighting at a paramilitary fort in Mohmand tribal region on Sunday killed at least six soldiers and 45 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 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 co-ordinated 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.