PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Pakistani security forces killed 26 Islamist militants believed to have crossed over from Afghanistan on Saturday in the fourth day of fighting close to the border, police said, highlighting the region's instability along the frontier 10 years after the U.S-led invasion of Afghanistan.
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Police officer Bahadur Khan said the insurgents crossed over into Upper Dir from Afghanistan's Kunar province and opened fire on troops. They returned fire, killing 26 of the attackers, he said, adding troops suffered no casualties. It was not possible to independently verify his accounts, and a militant spokesman Friday denied early claims by police of significant casualties.
Upper Dir has seen fighting since Wednesday, when dozens, possibly hundreds, of insurgents attacked a security post and killed 25 personnel and five civilians. The clashes forced many residents to flee. Although militants often target security forces, they have rarely launched such attacks from Afghanistan. |