Crossfire: Nine militants killed in Orakzai clashes

Officials are investigating where the militants came from.

KALAYA: Nine militants were killed and a security official was severely injured in crossfire when a security check post was attacked in Arhanga area of Upper Orakzai Agency on Wednesday. A security official said after midnight, more than a dozen militants attacked the strategically important check post following which the forces retaliated. Officials are investigating whether the militants came from the adjacent Tirah valley of Khyber Agency or from the Dabori area of Upper Orakzai. Through this check post, security forces had blocked the route of militants coming from Khyber Agency.  The injured, identified as Naeem, was rushed to the Combined Military Hospital in Kohat. On Monday, militants attacked a security check post in Dabori area in which one security official was killed and another was injured.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2013.