WANA, June 15: A foreign militant was killed and his wife and three children were wounded in an exchange of fire with security forces at Jandola checkpoint, 67 kilometres from here on Tuesday.

Witnesses said that the incident occurred when security forces manning the Gorbal checkpoint in the Frontier Regions, Jandola, stopped a passenger van for a routine check. One of the men in the van, instead of allowing the search, opened fire on a paramilitary soldier, seriously wounding him.

The security forces manning the checkpoint returned fire, killing the suspected foreign militant on the spot, while his wife and three children were wounded. They were later shifted to a military hospital in Tank for treatment.

The driver of the van, a native Mehsud tribesman, was also wounded in the clash and has been detained for questioning. The identity of the militant, however, remained a mystery. One security official said the deceased was a Turk national.

But local reporter said the militant appeared to be of central Asian origin. An ISPR statement confirmed the incident and said that the miscreants travelling in a Hiace vehicle fired on the security forces when stopped for a routine checking.

It said that the security forces had apprehended four suspects for questioning. "The man killed and others detained are believed to be foreigners," the statement read.

In a related development, after a relatively lull in hostilities, suspected militants again fired rockets at the Scouts Camp in Wana on Tuesday night. The three rockets fired from north of Wana failed to cause any damage.

Rockets were also fired at the Frontier Corps Camp Jandola. Two of the rockets hit shops in Jandola bazaar wounding two motor mechanics. The other rockets reportedly hit camp wounding two militiamen.

Officials here said that had intercepted a vehicle that was carrying ammunition in Patnai area near Ziari Noor army camp and detained some local suspected militants.

In another major development, 1200 Khasadars (tribal police) belonging to the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe vacated their checkpoint after authorities refused to accept their demand regarding release of their three months' salaries withheld under punishment for attacks on government installations.

A delegation of about 20 subaidars met the deputy administrator of Wana, Mr Khuda Bakhsh, and demanded that the Khasadars be paid their three months' pay. Mr Bakhsh told the delegation their pay had been withheld under the collective responsibility clause of the 1901 Frontier Crimes Regulation for the attacks on Scouts Camp in Wana and military camp in Ziari Noor.

Following failure in talks, the tribal force later decided to abandon their duties and go home until the government released their salaries. Meanwhile, the military authorities continue to deny access to local journalists to visit Shakai in the aftermath of the three days' operation launched on June 11 against hideouts of foreign militants.

A spokesman for the ISPR said that after destroying hideouts of miscreants in Shakai valley, the security forces were in control of most of the area.