Eight militants killed in gunbattle in Pakistan's North Waziristan
Islamabad - Following several days of relative quiet, a fierce gunbattle early Tuesday left at least eight suspected Islamic militants dead in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan region.
The army retaliated after one of its mobile check posts came under heavy fire by militants, who killed one paramilitary soldier on the spot and wounded two others, said army officials in Rawalpindi, where the Pakistan army is headquartered.
Army sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa the mobile post was being set up to facilitate the passage of a military convoy.
Security forces chased and engaged the militants' vehicle at another checkpoint, killing eight militants in a heavy exchange of fire. Their bodies were left lying on the road, according to the report, private media sources said.
The attack on the checkpoint came hours after the suspected militants shot dead two police guards near the main commercial center of the region's headquarters of Miranshah in a pre-dawn attack.
The two officials were on a night patrol when the gunmen opened fire on them, killing one of them at the spot while the other died of his wound in the hospital.
Violence in North Waziristan has surged since March after some 146 suspected militants were killed in a military operation. But militants announced a unilateral ceasefire in the first week of May to facilitate the holding of a three-day religious congregation last week.
At least 55 alleged Islamic terrorists were killed in different military operations in the North Waziristan region in April alone.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
The army retaliated after one of its mobile check posts came under heavy fire by militants, who killed one paramilitary soldier on the spot and wounded two others, said army officials in Rawalpindi, where the Pakistan army is headquartered.
Army sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa the mobile post was being set up to facilitate the passage of a military convoy.
Security forces chased and engaged the militants' vehicle at another checkpoint, killing eight militants in a heavy exchange of fire. Their bodies were left lying on the road, according to the report, private media sources said.
The attack on the checkpoint came hours after the suspected militants shot dead two police guards near the main commercial center of the region's headquarters of Miranshah in a pre-dawn attack.
The two officials were on a night patrol when the gunmen opened fire on them, killing one of them at the spot while the other died of his wound in the hospital.
Violence in North Waziristan has surged since March after some 146 suspected militants were killed in a military operation. But militants announced a unilateral ceasefire in the first week of May to facilitate the holding of a three-day religious congregation last week.
At least 55 alleged Islamic terrorists were killed in different military operations in the North Waziristan region in April alone.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
posted by Marko at 5/16/2006 08:07:00 AM
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