10 militants killed in clash on Pakistan-Afghan border

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Ten suspected Taliban militants and two soldiers were killed in an attack on a Pakistani border post on Monday, the military said.

The attack happened in the remote Bajaur tribal agency near the frontier with Afghanistan, the army’s Public Relations said.

A Pakistani captain was among the dead and four soldiers were wounded.

“Terrorists from the Afghanistan side attempted an attack on Pakistani posts along the Pak-Afghan border, which was effectively responded to, killing 8-10 fleeing terrorists while many were seen running back injured,” the statement said.

“The absence of Afghan [government] writ on the Afghan side of the border facilitates terrorists to undertake such attempts.”

It was the second cross-border attack in Bajaur in the last two weeks. Bajaur is one of seven semi-autonomous tribal regions along the porous border, where the Pakistani army has launched a series of operations against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan since 2014.

The army has said it has cleared 90 percent of the tribal areas of militants, who have reportedly established bases in Afghanistan.

Diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been strained over accusations by both sides of harboring terrorists.