A Pakistan Army major was killed in a battle with militants when around 60 fighters attacked the Marazan checkpost in the Central Kurram Agency late on Tuesday night in a bid to revolt against the military offensive carried out in the region earlier. More than 20 militants were reportedly killed and nine hideouts were destroyed when the security forces retaliated to the attack that killed Major Sikandar. “The militants were hiding in the nearby mountains and opened fire on the convoy, which was followed by rockets. Security forces retaliated to the attack and killed 20 militants. One of our majors succumbed to his wounds,” official sources said. The area was previously declared “clear” by the security forces, however incidents of violence have regularly been reported there. Details of the clash were difficult to verify independently owing to the remoteness of the region. In a separate incident, officials reported a second militant attack in the Shadala area of Ghaljo, where rockets were fired at a convoy. “The second attack happened in the same manner like the one in Kurram Agency. The militants were hiding and they targeted the convoy. The attack was retaliated and four militants were killed. One of our soldiers sustained minor injuries and is out of danger now,” officials said. Another six militants were killed and several others were injured in an operation launched by security forces against insurgents in Khartang, Darra Adamkhel on Wednesday. Official sources said the security forces pounded the hideouts of militants with heavy artillery, killing six militants and injuring many others. “Seven hideouts of the militants were also destroyed in the fresh bombing,” officials claimed, adding that insurgents were on the run because of intense fire and heavy presence of troops. Earlier, a policeman was killed while another was injured when a remote-controlled explosion took place near a police checkpost in the Shabqadar tehsil of Charsadda.
