PESHAWAR / LANDI KOTAL: At least 15 suspected militants were killed in a clash with security forces, artillery shelling and an explosion inside a bunker in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan and Tirah valley in Khyber tribal region on Friday.

According to sources, eight suspected militants were killed as security personnel repulsed a Taliban attack on their camp in Dattakhel in the small hours of Friday.

The troops resorted to intense firing after militants fired 15 rockets at the camp and the suspects were killed during the ensuing clash.

Dattakhel was placed under a curfew and security forces launched a search operation in the area to track down the attackers.

In Tirah valley, an accidental blast in a bunker in Khyber Sangar area of Sipah left four activists of the banned Lashkar-i-Islam group dead early in the morning.

Security personnel stationed at the Jarrobi camp pounded the place with shells while the LI’s activists were retrieving the bodies of their colleagues.

Three suspected LI activists were killed in the shelling.

 The bunker was located in a stronghold of the LI that was reportedly controlled by the group’s chief. LI activists had in the past defended the bunker against rival groups Ansaarul Islam and Tauheedul Islam. 

Published in Dawn January 10th , 2014

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