PESHAWAR, May 6: At least nine soldiers were killed in a gunfight with terrorists in Miramshah on Sunday.

According to an ISPR press release, the terrorists attacked a convoy of the Frontier Constabulary and in the ensuing clash, the militants suffered heavy casualties.

It said that “Amin picket of FC in Miramshah, headquarters of North Waziristan Agency, was continuously being fired upon by terrorists for the past few days. Today (Sunday) during the convoy’s movement, the terrorists engaged the picket and an exchange of fire took place between the two sides. In the intense gunbattle, the compounds, from where the terrorists fired, were destroyed and heavy casualties were inflicted on them. Exact number of their casualties was not known. Security forces also lost nine jawans.”—APP

An earlier report from Dawn correspondent in Miramshah said: Armed clashes left four civilians and three militants dead while 23 others, including three soldiers, were injured.

Later, four army personnel were killed and 20 others were wounded when militants attacked an ambulance carrying the three injured soldiers. Five of the injured soldiers were said to be in a critical condition.

Sources said that the military vehicles escorting the ambulance were also attacked.

The political administration imposed a curfew in Miramshah for an indefinite period.

According to officials and witnesses, clashes erupted in the area when security personnel defusing an improvised explosive device came under fire near Amin checkpost at about 1pm.

Officials said that three security personnel suffered bullet injuries.

Witnesses said that the personnel were defusing the explosive device ahead of the movement of an army convoy from Miramshah to Dattakhel.

Security forces besieged the area and fired at suspected positions in the locality.

The militants who had taken position in a compound continued the firing. Helicopter gunships were called in to dislodge them.

Local people said the choppers hit a moving vehicle, killing three armed men who were in it.Sporadic clashes between security forces and militants continued for several hours. An artillery shell hit a mosque in Dattakhel village near Miramshah, killing four people and injuring 20 others.

Local people took the wounded to the agency headquarters hospital.

Three rockets were fired at the main base of security forces in Miramshah, but did not cause any damage.

Residents have moved women and children to safe locations. Residential areas were also hit during the heavy shelling.

Another bomb was defused in Momadkhel area before the convoy’s movement. The political administration had already imposed a curfew in five tehsils – Miramshah, Dattakhel, Dosali, Mirali and Razmak – to provide safe passage to the convoy.