Militants ambush Pakistani troops, killing 9 soldiers

Militants ambush Pakistani troops, killing 9 soldiers

2011-10-18 20:03:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISLAMABAD (BNO NEWS) -- At least nine Pakistani soldiers were killed on Monday when heavily-armed gunmen ambushed troops in the country's Khyber Agency, according to media reports on Tuesday.

The attack occurred during a search operation in the Bara area of the restive Khyber tribal region bordering Afghanistan, leaving nine soldiers dead and three others injured. A spokesman for the paramilitary 'Frontier Corps' said 16 militants were killed when security forces returned fire, the Press Trust of India reported.

Locals said the militants had launched a major attack on a roadside check post of the security forces, inflicting heavy losses on the security forces. According to sources, about 30 to 35 militants attacked the security check post with rockets, hand grenades and automatic weapons.

Militants have recently stepped up attacks on security forces in Khyber agency, which is the main supply route for NATO forces in neighboring Afghanistan. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and another militant group Lashkar-e-Islam are active in the area.

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