Militants in Pakistan fire rockets on soldiers: 1 killed, 4 wounded

Suspected tribal militants fired rockets at a Pakistani soldiers' post in a volatile tribal region near the Afghan border, killing one of them and wounding four others, a security official said Friday.

Photo: Militants in Pakistan fire rockets on soldiers: 1 killed, 4 wounded

Militants in Pakistan fire rockets on soldiers: 1 killed, 4 wounded

Rockets hit the post before dawn in the area of Tut Naray, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Miran Shah in North Waziristan, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Security forces returned fire, but it was not immediately clear if there were casualties among the militants, he said.

North Waziristan has been the scene of bloody clashes between al-Qaida linked militants and Pakistani forces in recent weeks.

The latest attack came hours after Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf warned militants to leave the country or get killed.

Some rockets also landed near another military post near Shakai, a main town in neighboring South Waziristan, but there were no casualties, the official said.

He said local authorities had asked tribal elders to help them trace the attackers, but gave no further details.

Pakistan, a key ally of the United States in its war on terror, has deployed thousands of troops in its tribal regions near the Afghan border in an effort to flush out foreign militants and their local supporters.

Although tribal elders have claimed there are no foreigners in their areas, security officials say hundreds of foreigners, including Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechen and Afghans are hiding in the North and South Waziristan tribal regions, reports the AP.

I.L.