By SALMAN MASOOD
Published: April 12, 2010
excerpt of first 6 graphs appears below.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least 38 Taliban fighters and two Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were killed in a gun battle on Monday in northwest Pakistan, military and security officials said.
The firefight occurred when a checkpoint in the Orakzai tribal region came under attack from more than a hundred militants using rockets and mortars, the officials said.
“The clashes started at midnight and continued until early Monday morning,” said Lt. Col. Nadeem Anwar, a spokesperson for the Pakistani Army in Peshawar, the provincial capital. The checkpoint is located in the Shireen Darra area of Orakzai.
“Two F.C. soldiers died,” Colonel Anwar said, referring to the Frontier Corps, the paramilitary force. The militants eventually retreated, he said, adding, “The situation has calmed down and is under control.”
Also Monday, at least five people were killed in violent clashes in Abottabad District over the renaming of North-West Frontier Province.
The police fired tear gas to quell the unrest, which has paralyzed the district in recent days. Last week, a suicide bomber killed 42 people at a ceremony being held to celebrate the renaming.
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