Nine soldiers dead as militants attack checkpost

PESHAWAR: At least nine Pakistani soldiers were killed and four were injured in clashes after militants attacked a checkpost in the country's lawless tribal northwest on Wednesday, officials said.

Dozens of militants armed with rockets and grenades stormed the checkpost in Surang Baba Ziarat village, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of Wana, the main town of South Waziristan tribal district, a senior security official in Peshawar told AFP.

Nine soldiers have been confirmed killed in the clashes and four injured, the official said, adding that the toll was likely to rise. Ten militants were killed, he said.

However, some security officials claimed that 18 militants had been killed while several were injured.

The area is cut off to journalists and aid workers and it was not possible to confirm the death toll independently.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed in a telephone call that the militants had killed more than 12 soldiers and only one militant was killed, though the group often exaggerates military casualties.