15 militants killed in Pakistan’s South Waziristan gunbattle

At least 15 militants, including a suicide bomber, were killed in an overnight clash with Pakistani security forces in South Waziristan’s Azam Warsak area. Several militants were hiding in a mosque, while a separate attack in Bannu killed a retired army office

Peshawar: At least 15 militants, including a suicide bomber, were killed and four security personnel were injured in an overnight gunbattle with security forces in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, security forces said on Friday.

The clash broke out on Thursday at Karamzi Stop in the Azam Warsak area in South Waziristan district bordering Afghanistan. Acting on prior intelligence, security forces launched an operation to clear the area when a key militant compound, a Markaz (centre point), was seized, and the national flag hoisted on the site, sources said.

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Among the 15 militants killed, several were those who had taken refuge in a nearby mosque. Nine people, including four security personnel, were injured during the exchange of fire, the sources added.

Two new check posts were also established. In a separate incident in Bannu district of the province, armed assailants killed a retired army Subedar after an attempted abduction. The victim, identified as Ataullah, was attacked in the Norar area of Malagan, officials said, adding, three worshippers were injured in the crossfire and taken to a hospital.