PESHAWAR: A major-ranked officer of the Pakistan Army and five militants were killed late during an attack on a checkpost in Spin Wam area of North Waziristan tribal region's Mirali tehsil, security sources told DawnNews on Monday.

Militants attacked Dandi Kuch checkpost situated in Kaka Ziarat area of Spin Wam near the Pak-Afghan border killing an officer of the Pakistan Army identified as Major Ismail. The area lies adjacent to Afghanistan's Khost province.

Security personnel resorted to retaliatory firing killing five militants.

Security sources added that the attackers, who had used light and heavy weapons, managed to escape from the site taking advantage of darkness and also took away the bodies of the colleagues.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws which is situated along the Pak-Afghan border and is rife with Taliban militant activity.

The Pakistan Army launched Zarb-i-Azb, a comprehensive operation in North Waziristan tribal region last summer to drive out Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist militants who launch attacks on government and civilian targets, a week after the brazen insurgent attack on the country's busiest airport in Karachi.