17 militants killed in northwest Pakistan

17 militants were killed in a gun battle with security forces in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region along Afghan border, officials said today.
The fighting took place in the Sepah Spin Qabar area of Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency last night.
The bullet ridden bodies of the militants were shifted to Levies Centre in Shah Kas for identification.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the militants were killed in a clash with security forces last night. About 50 to 60 terrorists stormed at security forces check-post in Spin Qamar area prompting effective response from the forces in which 17 attackers were killed.

The ISPR said the terrorists fled the site and dumped 17 bodies of their companions.
In a separate incident, Pakistani security forces killed a militant and recovered huge cache of weapons during a search operation in Chakdara area of Lower Dir district of Khyber Paktunknwa province bordering Bajaur agency.

Three soldiers were also injured in the gunbattle with the militants. The security forces launched a search operation following reports of the presence of militants in a mosque in the area.
Security forces recovered three suicide jackets, 10 hand grenades and huge cache of arms from the scene of action.
Meanwhile, three volunteers of peace committee were killed in an improvised explosives device blast during a clash with militants in Naray Baba area of Khyber Agency.

The security forces had launched a search operation named Zarb-e-Azb Khyber-1 in the Bara district of Khyber region on October.
The operation was launched to free the tribal people from the clutches of the militants who had already multiplied into the miseries of tribal people.
Khyber is among Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, rife with homegrown insurgents and foreign militants. These are also home to religious extremist organisations including Al Qaeda.
The security forces have asked the tribal people to cooperate with them to clear the area from the militants.