Up to 90 pro-Taliban militants were killed in Pakistan's restive tribal region next to Afghanistan in clashes with the security forces, the army's chief spokesman said Friday, according to dpa. "A security forces convoy was attacked in Chakmalai area of South Waziristan with rocket fire and small arms at around 12:00 local time (07:00 GMT), which was retaliated with small arms and mortar," said military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas. The firefight continued for almost one hour and it left 20 to 30 militants dead and four security personnel injured. "Two military vehicles were also damaged in the clashes," he added. In another incident, insurgents fired dozens of rockets at a military fort in the same district, triggering a firefight that killed up to 60 rebels. "Around at 15:00 local time (10:00 GMT) the miscreants started to gather around the fort in large numbers but the security forces targeted them with artillery and rocket fire," Abbas said. "According to our estimates 50 to 60 militants were killed and dozens others were injured in the attack. There was no casualty of the troops here because the security forces used long-range artillery and rockets.
