At least 25 killed in Orakzai clash: Officials

KALAYA, ORAKZAI AGENCY: At least 20 militants and five soldiers were killed when Pakistani forces and a group of militants clashed in Orakzai on Tuesday, military officials said.   

The skirmish, which took place in the Ghaljo area of the northwestern Orakzai tribal region, began when militants ambushed a military patrol.

Officials said 18 soldiers were wounded in the ambush.

The death toll could not be independently verified, and militants often dispute official figures.

The military has been conducting operations against militants in Orakzai for months.

Several militant groups are active in the northwestern semi-autonomous tribal regions, near the border with Afghanistan, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), responsible for many of the bombings across the country in recent years.