Pakistan troops kill 10 Taliban militants in North Waziristan

Posted by Mc Parry on January 19th, 2010 No Comments Printer-Friendly

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani troops killed 10 Taliban militants and arrested five others in a clash in the northwestern tribal belt near the Afghan border on Monday, officials said.

The incident occurred in the border town of Lwara Mandi in North Waziristan, a bastion of Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters, a senior military officer said. “The bodies of the militants have been shifted to a nearby military base along with those captured,” the officer said.

Another officer said the clash occurred when the militants opened fire on a checkpoint near the border. “Troops retaliated and killed 10 militants,” he said, adding there were no military casualties.

Security officials said they believed the militants were supporters of Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud who reportedly escaped a drone attack in North Waziristan last Thursday.

The unmanned CIA drone pounded an extremist hideout in the region, killing 15 militants. The strike triggered rumours that Mehsud had been killed or injured, but the chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released an audio message denying reports of his demise and vowing revenge.

This month multiple drone strikes have rained on North Waziristan, a bastion of Al-Qaeda fighters, the Taliban and the Haqqani network, which attacks US and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Washington is pressing Islamabad to tackle militants who use Pakistani soil to launch attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan. (AFP)