Militants kill two soldiers near Afghanistan border: ISPR

PESHAWAR: Militants targeted a military post in the northwestern tribal belt near the Afghanistan border, killing two soldiers in a firefight, the army said in a statement.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said late Saturday that militants attacked a post in the Datta Khel town of the district of North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The town is a former militant stronghold. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

During an intense exchange of gunfire two soldiers were killed, the ISPR said, adding that a search of the area was being carried out to find the militants.

It gave no indication of the identity of the attackers.

North Waziristan served for years as a safe haven for militants until the military carried out massive operations to try to clear the region. That forced the militants either to escape across the border into Afghanistan or hide in other mountainous areas near the border.

Pakistan is holding talks with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with the help of the Taliban government in Afghanistan. There is a temporary cease-fire in place.

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