MIRAMSHAH: An army officer and eight suspected militants were killed in clashes in North Waziristan and Kurram tribal region on Friday.

According to a statement by the military’s public affairs wing ISPR, five militants were killed when fighting erupted during a cordon-and-search operation in Dattakhel area, some 30km west of the agency’s headquarters of Miramshah. An army officer also lost his life in the clash, the statement said.

Sources said that security personnel were conducting house-to-house search when militants opened fire on them, killing a major and injuring a soldier. The troops returned fire and killed five militants. Two of the dead militants were foreigners.

Also read: 15 ‘militants’, FC man killed in clash

The injured soldier was taken to Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi.

Dattakhel was once considered a stronghold of militant leader Gul Bahadar.

In Patala area of Kurram Agency, three suspected militants died in a clash with security forces near the Afghan border.

Officials said that personnel of the Frontier Corps and Kurram Levies Force were patrolling the area when militants attacked them. Three attackers were killed in retaliatory firing by troops. The exchange of fire continued for some time.

The political administration released pictures of militants’ bodies to the media. However, their identity could not be ascertained.

Published in Dawn February 21th , 2015

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