Five Pakistani soldiers killed in militant attack near Afghanistan border

ISLAMABAD: Five Pakistani soldiers were killed in a militant attack in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province close to the Afghanistan border, the Pakistani military said on Sunday.
The latest attack on Pakistani troops comes a day after the military concluded a 70-hour-day long operation against separatists in the southwestern Balochistan province.
Sunday’s attack took place in the Kurram district bordering Afghanistan that led to an exchange of fire between Pakistani troops and militants, the Pakistani military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.
“Terrorists from inside Afghanistan, across the international border, opened fire on Pakistani troops in Kurram district,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Own troops responded in a befitting manner. As per intelligence reports, due to fire from own troops, terrorists suffered heavy causalities.”
Confirming the killing of five soldiers in the crossfire, the ISPR said, “Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and expects that the interim Afghan government will not allow conduct of such activities against Pakistan in future.”
Pakistan Army was determined to defend Pakistan’s borders against the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of its brave men further strengthened its resolve, it added.
Earlier this week, Baloch insurgents launched attacks on paramilitary camps in Balochistan’s Naushki and Panjgur districts in the country’s southwest. On Saturday, the Pakistan military said 20 militants and nine soldiers had been killed in the gunfights that lasted over 70 hours.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which claimed the attacks, said 16 of its fighters had been killed in clashes with security forces.

Five Pakistani soldiers killed in militant attack near Afghanistan border