Thaindian News

Islamabad, Aug 27 (IANS) Several hundred Taliban militants from Afghanistan Saturday launched a cross-border attack at several border check-points in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region, killing 25 security personnel, the Pakistan Army confirmed. Around 20 militants were also killed in the fighting at these places.

The attack took place in Chitral, a mountainous town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Xinhua reported. Chitral borders Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.

An army statement said the security personnel included 16 from the paramilitary Frontier Scouts, four policemen and five local militiamen from the Levies.

The statement from the army’s Inter-Services Public Relations said 20 terrorists were killed.

An earlier media report said at least 40 Pakistani security personnel and 10 Afghan militants were killed in the attack.

Sources said there were around 400 Afghan militants involved in the attack. The militants attacked the Arson, Dameel Nisar, Bodebar and Mirkani check-posts with rockets and heavy weapons.

One of the places through which the militants entered the Pakistan side was Arendu town, 160 km from the Afghan city of Jalalabad.

Pakistani forces reportedly blew up four bridges in a bid to cut off entry points for the militants.

The army statement said the Taliban militants belonged to Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nooristan provinces. They were aided by militants from Pakistan’s northwestern Swat valley, Dir district and Bajaur region led by Maulvi Fazlullah and Maulvi Faqir Muhammad.

Fazlullah had fled to Afghanistan in 2009, while Faqir, deputy chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, escaped last year, it said.