WANA, July 25: After a four-day lull, militants again targeted paramilitary headquarters and a local helipad in the troubled South Waziristan tribal region early on Sunday.

Residents in Wana, the regional headquarters, said that militants fired three rockets on military installations at about 3am, which led to a two-hour long exchange of fire between the security forces and the militants.

Witnesses said that a rocket hit the South Waziristan Scouts camp, while two others landed at the nearby helipad. The offices and residences of political agent, military officials and army troops are located at the scouts camp.

The paramilitary forces returned the fire. No casualty was reported from both sides. The region had remained peaceful after security forces secured key locations and hilltops in Santoi, Mantoi and Dand areas along the Afghan border last week.

Meanwhile, the Afghan authorities released 25 Pakistani drivers and 13 trucks on Sunday who had been detained three days earlier in the neighbouring Paktika province. The released drivers said in Wana that the Afghan authorities detained them in Margha area and also impounded their vehicles loaded with fruit and vegetables.

Following the government economic sanctions against the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe the local farmers transported their agricultural produce to Afghanistan via North Waziristan region. However, the Afghan authorities detained them and took away fruits and vegetables worth millions of rupees.