PESHAWAR - Officials on Sunday claimed to have killed at least 10 Taliban militants trying to cross into the country’s restive tribal areas from Afghanistan.
Security forces caught the militants in the Shumkari area of the Mohmand tribal district close to the border with Afghanistan trying to “sneak into Pakistan territory,” a military spokesman said in a statement.
“At about 0130 hours (Saturday night) a group of about 10-15 terrorists tried to sneak into Pakistan territory. Pakistan troops observed and surrounded them. Intense exchange of fire took place for about an hour,” the statement says.
A local administration official confirmed the incident and said that the bodies of the militants were later brought to a local hospital for autopsy.
The area is out of bounds for journalists, making independent confirmation of the events impossible.
Pakistan has tightened its control on the border and has, since last year, launched several operations in its tribal areas to root out militants.
The military upped its operations after Taliban killed more than 150 people, the majority of them children, in an attack on a school in Peshawar in December.
10 BODIES FOUND IN MOHMAND AGENCY
Monitoring Desk adds: Ten dead bodies were found dumped in Mohmand Agency near Pak-Afghan border on Sunday, reported a private TV channel.
The bodies were shifted to a hospital in Ghalnai for identification and medico-legal formalities.
They said the bodies were found in Tehsil Bezai area of the tribal belt.