HANGU, Aug 23: A militant was killed and four personnel of the Frontier Constabulary were injured in a fierce gunbattle following an attack by miscreants on a fort in Thall, adjacent to the troubled North Waziristan Agency, on Wednesday night.

A senior police official said a group of militants from Mirali attacked the Naway Dand Fort, which is under the control of the Frontier Constabulary. The clash continued for over two hours. The militants used rockets and machine guns, damaging the building.

Talking to Dawn by telephone, the head of the paramilitary force, Subaidar Bashir Ahmad, identified the killed militant as Sher Ayub. He said the soldiers had been slightly injured.

The body was handed over to the local police and a case was registered against unidentified people. About 25 soldiers were inside the fort at the time of the attack.

Thall, which shares boundary with two tribal agencies, North Waziristan and Kurram, has become a hub of militant activities in recent days.