PESHAWAR: Fifteen militants were killed on Saturday in a clash with security forces in Khyber Agency, the military's public relations wing said.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), approximately 30-35 militants attacked a security forces check post in Khyber Agency's Tirah Valley, but attack was foiled through "effective retaliation".

Three security personnel sustained injuries in the clash.

Security forces seized 10 bodies of the militants, along with arms and ammunition, the ISPR said. However, this information could not be independently verified as journalists have limited access to the restive agency.

Khyber is one of Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous regions governed by tribal laws and lies near the Afghan border. The Taliban and other Al Qaeda-linked groups who stage attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan are also known to have strongholds in the zone.

Also read: Army claims killing 80 militants in Tirah

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), at least 80 militants were eliminated in an operation in Khyber Agency last week. It said seven soldiers also lost their lives during the operation.

A spokesperson for the banned Lashkar-i-Islam (LI), Salahuddin Ayubi, told journalists on the phone that bodies of 11 soldiers were in the custody of his group. He said the soldiers were killed during a ground offensive launched by security forces to take control of the LI stronghold in Sipah area.