LANDI KOTAL: A lieutenant colonel of Pakistan Army was killed when he stepped over an explosive device during a search operation in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency on Wednesday.

The ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) said in a statement that Lt Col Sajid Mushtaq was leading an operation to clear the Gulbai area of Maidan when an improvised explosive device exploded in a house. Lt Col Mushtaq died on the spot.

The operation was launched after government forces had pushed militants out of the area.

The body of Lt Col Mushtaq was airlifted to Peshawar from where it would be taken to Lahore for funeral to be held on Thursday.

He is survived by his wife and two children.

Meanwhile, Dawn has learnt from independent sources that the bodies of 23 militants were lying in the Dwa Thoe area. But it is not known when these militants were killed.

The army on June 9 claimed to have killed 35 militants in three days of fighting.

The ISPR said that government forces had cleansed about 50 per cent of the area of the Taliban.