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10 Pakistani Soldiers Killed Near Afghan-Pak Border
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| Pakistani
soldiers stationed near the Afghan border
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By
Asif Farooqi, IOL Pakistan correspondent
ISLAMABAD,
June 27 (IslamOnline) - Ten Pakistani army soldiers, including two
officers were killed during a four hours fierce gun battle with
suspected Al-Qaeda fighters in a remote tribal area of Pakistan near
the border with Afghanistan early Wednesday morning, June 26. Two
suspected Al-Qaeda members were also killed and one arrested in the
raid.
The
shootout occurred when a contingent of Pakistani army personnel raided
a compound located in the residential areas of the town of Wana,
headquarter of the south Wazirustan agency 300 kilometers west of
Islamabad, an official statement issued by the Inter Services Public
Relations said.
Pakistan
has deployed thousands of soldiers to the areas bordering Afghanistan
starting last year to block Al-Qaeda fighters from fleeing U.S.
led-operations against them. The region is largely outside the control
of the central Pakistani government and controlled by local tribal
leaders.
The
operation Wednesday was guided by the United States Special Forces who
themselves did not take part in it but tipped the Pakistani forces
about the presence of suspected Al-Qaeda operatives in a house.
The
Pakistani soldiers were received with heavy firing when they tried to
break into the compound on the wee hours of Wednesday. One Major and a
Captain have been identified among the dead, well placed sources said.
However,
the ISPR denied that any of the officer were killed but confirmed the
death of ten soldiers.
According
to some officials, an unspecified number of the terrorists were able
to escape during the shootout and the Pakistani law enforcement
agencies were chasing them.
The
official said a Chechen national suspected of being an Al-Qaeda member
had been arrested and two other suspected militants killed in the
encounter.
The
Pakistani forces received the tip from U.S. operatives that Al-Qaeda
and Taliban fighters were hiding in the tribal areas of Pakistan that
border Afghanistan’s Paktika province.
Local
government buildings and Pakistani troops have occasionally come under
brief rocket fire from unknown attackers in the area in recent weeks
but no soldiers have been killed.
U.S.
and British forces patrolling in the region uncovered large weapons
caches in the past week, including rocket-propelled grenades, rifle
ammunition, two howitzers and 22 anti-personnel mines.
It
was not known if the arms belonged to Al-Qaeda, the Taliban or to
warlords.
U.S.
forces in the region have also come under occasional rocket or mortar
fire, though no soldiers have been injured.
It
is not known who is responsible for the attacks.
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