Pakistani forces battle militants; at least 9 killed

WANA, Pakistan – Pakistani security forces and militants clashed in fighting Sunday that killed at least nine people in the mountains near the Afghan border where al Qaeda-linked fighters are believed to be hiding, military officials said.

Between six and eight militants were killed during the fighting in Kani Guram, a mountainous area about 30 miles northeast of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, said Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan. He didn’t say whether the dead suspects were foreigners or local tribesmen.

Army officials in the capital of Islamabad, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said three soldiers died in the clashes.

Military officials said mortar, rocket and small arms fire continued throughout the day.

One of the officials said bodies of some militants had been spotted on mountainsides but could not be retrieved because of the fighting.

Residents reported hearing heavy gunfire starting at dawn Sunday.

Zafar Ali, who lives in Kani Guram, said helicopter gunships bombed Asman Manza, a nearby mountain peak. Residents also reported seeing at least four military pickup trucks carrying injured people, although it wasn’t clear who the injured were.

Pakistan, a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, has conducted a series of bloody military operations in South Waziristan this year that have left scores dead.