Six Pakistani soldiers killed in shootout on Afghan border

Six Pakistani soldiers were killed in a shootout with local militants in the north-western “tribal zone” of Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan (Waziristan). Three terrorists have been eliminated. No militant group has yet claimed responsibility, Ariana News reports.

Clashes with local tribes have resumed after Pakistan announced a new offensive against the militants after several attacks, including a mosque bombing that killed more than 100 people in February.

“There was an exchange of fire between the terrorists and our troops,” the Pakistan Army said in a statement.

The incident comes a week after a suicide bomber rammed a car bomb into a military camp on the border with Waziristan, killing three servicemen.

Waziristan is a mountainous region in north-western Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan. It consists of the sub-provinces of North Waziristan and South Waziristan, which are part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Until May 31, 2018, the territory of Waziristan was part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.