Pakistan's clashes kill senior army officer, 6 militants

A senior officer of Pakistani army and a soldier as well as six militants were killed in a clash in the restive North Waziristan tribal region on Monday, the military said.

Backed by fighter jets, Pakistani ground troops have been fighting the Taliban militants in the rugged mountainous region near the Afghan border.

The security forces have cleared most of the areas of the Tehrik-e-Taliban, remnants of al-Qaida, the Haqqani Network and other local and foreign militants.

The militants have fled to the mountains to avoid aerial bombing. The ground forces are now chasing them in Shawal Mountains in North Waziristan.

"During an exchange of fire with security forces 6 terrorists were killed in Shawal today. An officer Lt. Col. Faisal Malik and a soldier also embraced 'shahadat' (martyrdom) in exchange of fire, ' an army statement said.

The Pakistan Air Force has intensified bombing on the hideouts of the militants in the mountains in recent days and killed nearly 200 militants in a week.

The army says that around 3,000 militants have been killed since the major operation has been launched in June last year. Endi