By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – At least two Pakistan Army soldiers and a suspected militant were killed in an armed clash in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, the military said in a statement.
The gunfight, the latest in a series of clashes between security forces and suspected militants, took place in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province's Bajaur tribal district, which borders Afghanistan's Kunar province.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack.
It came just hours after six police officers were ambushed and killed by suspected terrorists in the KP's Lakki Marwat district, about 330 kilometers (205 miles) south of Bajaur.
“During (an) intense exchange of fire, one terrorist got killed. The killed terrorist remained actively involved in terrorist activities against (the) security forces,” said a statement from the army’s media wing.
However, the statement added, during an intense exchange of fire, two soldiers who had fought gallantly embraced "Shahadat" (martyrdom).
Pakistan has seen a surge in attacks on security forces, mainly along the border with Afghanistan, since the Taliban retook power in Kabul in August last year.
Islamabad blames the attacks on "Afghanistan-based" militants loyal to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization for various militant groups operating in Pakistan.