BAJAUR AGENCY: At least 65 militants, 11 lashkar men and seven security personnel have been killed in clashes on the Pak-Afghan border in Salarzai Tehsil of Bajaur Agency continued for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.

Border villages and security check-posts attacks by militants, who officials say are a mixture of Afghan, Swat and Bajaur Agency militant groups, also left 12 volunteers and 10 soldiers injured.

Official sources said that 15 militants, a peace volunteer and a soldier died on Monday.

The TTP spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan speaking to Dawn.Com claimed that the attacks on the border have been intensified to avenge the killing of Bajaur Agency TTP chief Mualvi Dadullah and others.

He claimed that the Taliban had taken control of an area about eight kilometers inside Salarzai along the Pak-Afghan border and have reached up to Khat Kalley near Pashat Bazaar and are consolidating their positions.

Assistant political agent Salarzai Tehsil Jehangir Azam Khan said that more than 65 militants had been killed and scores of others injured in the last 34 days in Batwar area and the surrounding villages.

The militants attacked the bordering villages and the checkposts with rockets and heavy weapons but the peace committee volunteers and the forces repulsed their attack and had also arrested a number of them.

Roughly he said, more than sixty five militants have been killed so far and there are also losses of volunteers and security personnel.

On the other hand the TTP spokesman claims that they have killed more than 8 soldiers and many lashkar men. Ehsanullah Ehsan said that one Zarar Tank, two motorcycles and three vehicles of the military has also been seized and one tank destroyed.

He said that they have also taken into custody the bodies of eight people, four security personnel and as many anti-Taliban fighters.

The Frontier Corps Spokesman Major Fazl said that the gun battle is continuing in the areas and fresh troops have been dispatched to counter militant attacks in Batwar.

He said that the local villages which had come under attack are fighting the militants along with security forces and that militant positions are being targeted.

He said that the number of casualties on the militants’ side was high but the exact figure could only be ascertained once the active operation is over.