Miranshah (Pakistan): Up to 18 Pakistani soldiers and 16 militants were killed in heavy fighting in a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said today. Security forces deployed at a military post in North Waziristan killed about 16 pro-Taliban militants in clashes that began late yesterday, officials and residents said.

Military spokesman major general Waheed Arshad said security forces had clashed with "miscreants" in the area, but was unable to give further details as communication links had collapsed. "We had 12 to 16 men at the post, but had not been able to establish a contact with them as communication links were down due to bad weather," Arshad said.

"We are trying to gather details about the casualties. The latest contact we had was yesterday afternoon in which soldiers informed (us) about militant casualties." However, local administration officials in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district, told AFP militants had killed 16 soldiers and were not handing over their bodies to authorities.

"We have sent a jirga (tribal elders committee) in the area to recover the bodies of soldiers from the miscreants," a local administration official said.
Clashes erupted in the region when militants attacked troop positions with rockets late yesterday, killing two soldiers and injuring another five, an intelligence official said. "In the ensuing gunfight in which security forces responded with artillery fire, up to 16 militants were killed," the official said.