April 24, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 17, 1429

KHAR, April 23: A havaldar of the Bajaur Scouts was killed and another injured in an exchange of fire with the Afghan National Army at Nawa Pass on Wednesday after the death of about 10 Taliban in a gunbattle in the border area on the Afghanistan side.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas told Dawn that a havaldar of the Bajaur Scouts was killed and a naik was injured in the exchange of fire between the border forces of the two countries. The firing stopped after negotiations between the local authorities from the two sides.

The ISPR said the incident had taken place because of a misunderstanding between the ANA and the Frontier Corps and local commanders were holding negotiations to resolve the issue.

An official said Havaldar Noorzali Khan had died and the injured soldier had been taken to Peshawar by a military helicopter.

Sources said the Afghan Taliban had attacked Nato forces stationed at the Daud Qilla checkpoint on the Afghan side of the border late on Tuesday night. According to reports from Afghanistan, eight to 10 militants were killed. An Afghan outpost also came under attack.

The ISPR said that when Afghan troops approached the Pakistani post at Nawa Pass, they were informed that the militants had neither come towards the checkpoint nor had they fired from the area.

It said that when Afghan troops approached the post of Bajaur Scouts, an exchange of fire took place because of a misunderstanding.

The sources said skirmishes between the two sides continued till 6pm.

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Maulvi Omar said six Afghan Taliban had been killed in the attack on US and allied forces in Afghanistan.

The sources said the bodies of two militants had been brought to Nawa Gai area in Bajaur Agency.