KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A government official says militants attacked two security checkpoints in a northwest Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border, sparking an intense gunbattle that killed two soldiers and six insurgents.
Maqsood Khan said Wednesday that several soldiers and militants also were wounded in the overnight fight.
The attack occurred in Mohmand, a region that has been the focus of Pakistani army operations against the Taliban.
Pakistan has pursued anti-militant operations under pressure from the U.S., which wants to prevent militants from using Pakistani territory as a base to plan attacks on Western troops in Afghanistan.
