PESHAWAR: Three soldiers were killed and five others suffered injuries when militants fired mortar shells on a base of Frontier Corps in Spinwam area of North Waz­iristan Agency on Sunday.

Official sources said that during the pre-dawn attack around 20 mortar shells were fired at the base set up in a fort, some 20km north of Mirali town. One shell landed inside the fort which caused casualties.

AFP adds: “An unknown number of militants started firing rocket-propelled grenades from all sides. Three FC men embraced martyrdom when one of the rockets landed inside the fort,” an official in Peshawar said.

A spokesman for the Ansarul Mujahideen militant group, which is based in the tribal region but not affiliated with the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Published in Dawn, September 15th , 2014