Clashes in Pakistan leave 14 militants, four soldiers dead

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, April 5, IRNA -- Clashes erupted between Pakistani forces and the Taliban fighters in Khyber tribal region on Friday which killed 14 militants and four soldiers, officials said.

Major Fazl, spokesman for the paramilitary force, said that five other soldiers were also injured in fighting in Tirah Valley of Khyber agency, bordering Afghanistan.

Three militant bases were also destroyed in the offensive, the officials said.

The clashes in the valley had also left two members of a peace committee dead as militants set ablaze a number of houses of the tribesmen opposing their presence in the valley.

Meanwhile, in reaction to the offensive, militants fired rockets on the outskirts of Peshawar City.

Four rockets fired from an undisclosed location hit the residential areas of Hayatabad, killing at least one person and injuring five others, including four children, police said.

A police officer, Mahsal Khan, said that four rockets were fired from the tribal areas.

Three rockets exploded while one landed in the open, but failed to explode. The rocket was defused by the bomb disposal squad, he said.

He said that one rocket landed near the police station, the other near a park while one hit the residential area, leaving some people injured.

The Hayatabad Medical Complex officials confirmed that six people, including four children were brought to the hospital where one died of wounds.

The clashes erupted days after Taliban claimed occupying the valley and expelling a pro-government tribal group ‘Ansar-ul-Islam’ from the area.

The TTP and the Lashkar-e-Islam group are fighting the security forces and Ansar-ul-Islam group in Khyber Agency, bordering Afghanistan. Officials and UN refugee agency say that around 40,000 residents of Tirah Valley have fled their homes after fighting over the past few weeks.

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