Clash leaves 22 dead, 21 injured, 28 Soldiers captured, in Pakistan's tribal area

Clash leaves 22 dead, 21 injured in Pakistan's tribal area

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-07 14:06:05 Print

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) --

At least 22 people were killed and 21 others injured in a clash between militants and security forces in Pakistan's tribal area on Sunday, the army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad confirmed.

The security forces killed 20 militants and injured 15 others, while two soldiers died and 6 others suffered injuries in the clash in North Waziristan, Arshad said.

The militants launched an attack on the security forces in Mir Ali, a major town in North Waziristan, and triggered retaliation from the security forces, Arshad said, adding that the security forces used helicopters against militants in the operation.

The law and order situation in the northwestern tribal areas worsened after militants in North Waziristan scrapped a peace deal with the government in July. Frequent clashes between militants and security forces left over 300 people dead in the area since mid-July.

Editor: Bi Mingxin

North Waziristan militants capture 28 soldiers

By Our Correspondent

Dawn, MIRAMSHAH, Oct 6, 2007

Local Taliban militants have kidnapped another 28 paramilitary soldiers in the troubled North Waziristan tribal region.

Official sources told Dawn on Saturday that over 20 soldiers of the Frontier Corps (FC) had gone missing in Spin Wam, adjacent to Hangu district, on Thursday and their whereabouts were still not known.

However, a spokesman for militant Ahmadullah Ahmadi said by telephone from somewhere in the region that their men had seized 28 security personnel in the Spin Wam area.

The sources said that the militants had attacked a checkpoint in the area with rockets and missiles, forcing the personnel to lay down their weapons. They said the militants had captured the 28 soldiers manning the checkpoint and took away their weapons.

Over 300 army and paramilitary soldiers are now in custody of the militants in North and South Waziristan.

Militants gunned down three kidnapped soldiers in the South Waziristan agency on Thursday.

The spokesman warned that the militants would start targeting all government installations and security forces if troops were not removed from all checkpoints in North Waziristan.

The militants had scrapped a peace deal with the government in July when government forces were deployed at checkpoints in the region.

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