Pak: 25 Taliban, 4 soldiers killed in clashes

Four soldiers and 25 Taliban fighters were today killed in clashes in the restive Mohmand tribal region, where the Pakistani security forces carried out a ground and air offensive to capture a mountain occupied by the rebels.

The Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and the Pakistan Air Force launched a joint operation on Saturday to evict terrorists from their stronghold of Walidad in Mohmand Agency, the military said. After intense fighting, the troops secured Walidad Top, a strategic mountain, and surrounding areas after killing 25 terrorists.

Four soldiers were killed and eight more injured in the clashes, the military said. The remaining militants in the area "fled across the border", the military said.

The ground operation was preceded by air strikes on militant bunkers and positions on Walidad mountain. Media reports said the militants attacked a check post in Baizai area of Mohmand Agency with rockets.

The troops retaliated by firing artillery shells at militant hideouts. The military said troops were consolidating their positions near Walidad Top and conducting search operations to trace the militants who escaped from the area.

The operation has the "full support of the people of Mohmand Agency", the military said in a statement. The clashes occurred in a region near the Afghan border, where militants frequently launch attacks on security forces.