LEAD: Pakistan border post clash kills 18 militants, eight soldiers

Feb 3, 2012, 14:06 GMT

Islamabad - At least 18 militants and eight soldiers were killed Friday after dozens of suspected Taliban raided a border post in Pakistan's north-western tribal region along the Afghan border, officials said.

The incident occurred when rebels attacked Shaidano post in Kurrum, one of seven tribal districts where militants linked with the al-Qaeda terrorist network are active.

The fighting that followed the pre-dawn attack continued for more than an hour, said Rehman Khan, a local security official.

'Our forces killed at least 18 attackers but we also suffered eight deaths of our soldiers,' Khan said. 'There are reports that the Taliban have kidnapped some soldiers and we are trying to confirm that.'

He said five soldiers were injured in the attack.

An intelligence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said it was not clear whether the militants had come from the Kurram tribal district or the neighbouring Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Khost.

Hundreds of Pakistani fighters with the Islamist extremist Taliban have fled to Afghanistan after they were targeted in military operations in several Pakistani districts.

Over the past year, they have carried out about a dozen raids on Pakistani border posts and villages.

At least 25 militants and 10 soldiers were killed on Tuesday in fighting between the security forces and suspected militants in the Jogi Kalan area of Kurrum. The clashes started after militants launched an attack at a military post.