12 killed in clashes between Pak forces, Taliban

ISLAMABAD: Suspected Taliban militants ambushed a security force convoy in Pakistan's restive northwestern tribal region on Tuesday, triggering a gunbattle which left eight ultras and two security men dead.

The militants attacked the convoy on a main road, connecting Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan, with Razmak, a major town in the region, security sources said.

Two Taliban militants were also injured and the security forces arrested one of them. The fresh clash took place as the ceasefire announced by the militants earlier this month expired on May 12. The militants had announced a ceasefire due to a religious congregation in Miranshah.

In another incident, unidentified armed men gunned down two security personnel in an overnight attack in Miranshah.

Security men of the local militia were ambushed when they were on night patrol duty at Miranshah's main bazaar. The armed men fled after the firing. Tension gripped the area after the incident.

An employee of the Water and Power Development Authority was also shot dead when he was going with two other colleagues to restore electricity in a remote village near the South Waziristan tribal region.