Six soldiers were killed on Tuesday when Taliban militants stormed a checkpoint in Orakzai Agency, prompting a retaliatory strike by the army that left 35 militants dead and another 17 injured, officials said. According to the sources, the clash took place after militants attacked a security forces camp in the Korozkay area adjacent to Ghaljo, the agency headquarters of Upper Orakzai Agency. Eight soldiers were wounded in addition to the six dead, a spokesman for the Frontier Corps said. He said the militants were armed with heavy weapons and that troops responded with heavy artillery, as a result of which at least 30 militants were killed. Local administration official Sajjad Ahmed confirmed the casualties and said dozens of armed militants were involved in the attack. Independent confirmation of the casualty figures was not possible, however, because the area is a closed military zone inaccessible to aid workers and journalists.