6 Pakistani army troops, 4 suspected militants killed in exchange of fire

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Six Pakistani army troops and four suspected militants were killed in a clash in a northwestern region near the border with Afghanistan on Tuesday, the army said.

The clash – latest in a string of similar incidents in recent months – took place in the restive South Waziristan tribal district, said a statement from the army's mouthpiece, Inter Services Public Relations.

Two attackers were also injured in exchange of fire, the statement added.

Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, it maintained.

"Armed forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," it concluded.

Pakistani security forces have been struggling to contain a rising wave of terrorism since the Taliban recaptured Kabul two years ago.

Dozens of security personnel have been killed in clashes and suicide bombings, mostly claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella of several militant groups in Pakistan, in recent months.

Islamabad accused Afghanistan-based militants of unleashing a fresh spate of terrorism in Pakistan, a charge Kabul rejects.