Pakistan clashes leave 25 militants, 10 soldiers dead

Jan 31, 2012, 10:47 GMT

Islamabad - At least 25 militants and 10 soldiers were killed on Tuesday in fighting between the security forces and suspected Taliban militants in Pakistan's north-western region, a security official said.

The clashes occurred in the Jogi Kalan area of Kurrum, one of seven tribal districts, on the Afghan border where militants sympathetic to the Taliban and al-Qaeda are active.

The fighting started during the night when the military launched an operation against the militants and continued until midday, said Shahab Ali Shahab, the district's top security official.

'So far we have killed 25 militants but we have also lost 10 soldiers in the fight,' he said. 'Thirty-two of our soldiers were also injured who were immediately shifted to army hospitals.'

The death toll could not be verified through independent sources as the area is out of reach of the media and aid workers.

Kurrum provides one of the shortest routes by which militants can enter Afghanistan to attack international troops.

Pakistan has carried out several actions to purge the area of militants, but they are still active there due to the terrain's suitability for guerrilla warfare.

Last year, government forces claimed that the central Kurrum region had been cleared of militants.