Pakistani Police Battle Militants in Karachi
By VOA News
29 January 2008
Police in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, say at least two police officers and two militants have been killed in an intense gunbattle.
Authorities say security forces surrounded a building Tuesday in a suburb of the southern port city where they traded fire with a small group of militants.
Local media report some of the men may be members of Pakistani extremist groups with ties to al-Qaida.
Earlier Tuesday, Pakistani intelligence officials said a missile strike on a suspected militant hideout in a tribal region near the Afghan border killed at least 12 people.
Neither the Pakistani military nor government has officially commented on Tuesday's strike on a village in North Waziristan. Residents said the dead were not militants but tribesmen staying at the house of a local elder.
In the past, similar missile strikes have been attributed to pilotless American drones. Pakistan and the United States deny such operations take place.
In neighboring South Waziristan, a soldier was killed Tuesday in a clash with Muslim militants.
Violence has spread in Pakistan's tribal area near the Afghan border in recent months. The region is believed to be a sanctuary for al-Qaida and Taliban militants.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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