PARACHINAR, Jan 25: Security forces claimed on Wednesday to have captured a Taliban stronghold in central tehsil of Kurram. Eighteen militants and six soldiers died in the fighting for the area. According to sources, the fighting broke out on Tuesday when security personnel launched a search operation in the Jogi area.

The soldiers who lost their lives were Jamil, Ayaz, Saqib, Rehan, Assad and Salman.

Officials said the forces captured important hilltops in the area and also managed to consolidate their positions on Wednesday. Helicopter gunships and aircraft also shelled suspected militant positions in Banda and Murghan areas.

AGENCIES ADD: Some 50 Taliban fighters attacked troops during the search operation in Jogi village on Tuesday, officials said.

“Six soldiers were killed and four injured in the clash. Troops repelled the attack and killed 17 militants,” Sher Bahadur Khan, a local government official in Kurram, told AFP.

A senior official of Frontier Corps confirmed the attack and the casualties, and added that troops had taken control of the area.

Independent confirmation of the death toll was not immediately possible as the tribal region is barred for journalists.