Islamabad, March 29: Over a dozen government forces have been killed in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region of Khyber Agency, bordering Afghanistan, Pakistani military officials say.
The incident took place in the Aka Khel area on Sunday as the security forces were returning to their base after carrying out a search operation in the nearby Sipah area when they were ambushed by around 50 unknown militants, a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Another security official also confirmed the attack and said 14 personnel were killed, saying that the personnel of the paramilitary Frontier Corps of the Mehsud Scouts were traveling in a convoy of up to four vehicles at the time of attack.
However, a military spokesman denied that the soldiers died as a result of the attack from militants. He said that most of the casualties were caused when one of the mortars targeting the militants exploded in the barrel of the gun.
A colonel and a major of Pakistan’s army are among the casualties.
Security forces have been conducting an operation against militants in the area for the past few days.
——–Agencies