WANA, Sept 29: One soldier was killed and 14 people, including six troops, were wounded in attacks by suspected militants and counter-attacks by security forces in South Waziristan on Wednesday, officials and witnesses said.

Locals said that eight people, including two girls, were wounded when an artillery shell hit the house of Shamerai Mehsud in Sam area, about 50km north of Wana. They were identified as Khair Zaman, Irshad Bibi, Nadia, Ali Nawaz, Karam Khan, Gulzar, Sher Nawaz and Mila Khan. They were taken to a hospital.

The shell was fired by troops after militants had ambushed a military convoy in Sam at about 1pm with rockets and light machine-guns, leaving one soldier dead and six others wounded.

An official said the wounded were taken to the military hospital in Wana camp where two soldiers were stated to be in serious condition. Residents said suspected militants had fired nine rockets on the Laddah Fort on Tuesday night. One of the rockets had landed on the premises of a college, they said.

A water tanker, serving the security forces, hit a landmine at Mandata in Shakai valley. The driver suffered minor injuries. Meanwhile, authorities on Wednesday directed elders in Shakai to raise a lashkar to provide cover to security forces operating in the valley.

The proposed 400-strong lashkar would patrol routes to check landmines and ensure that no hostile action is taken against security troops.

The directions were issued under an agreement reached between the government and the tribal people in July. Under the agreement, tribesmen would be responsible for any hostile action on the security forces and installations in the area.