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24 December 2010
Last updated at 00:19 ET
At least three soldiers and 24 militants have been killed in a series of clashes in a tribal region of north-western Pakistan, officials have said.
The battles erupted after about 150 Taliban attacked five paramilitary Frontier Corps checkpoints in and around Baidnami in the Mohmand Agency, one official told the AFP news agency.
The Frontier Corps said at least 12 soldiers were also hurt in the clashes.
But the Taliban said they had killed 12 soldiers and captured a checkpoint.
Two Frontier Corps soldiers had also been captured, a spokesman said. The claim was denied by security officials, who said no-one was missing.
Mohmand is a transit point for insurgents seeking to enter Afghanistan, and a stronghold of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
The Pakistani military has launched offensives there in recent months, but insurgent attacks have continued on a regular basis.
Earlier this month, a twin suicide bomb attack at a government compound Ghalanai left 43 people dead. Local officials had been meeting tribal elders to discuss forming an anti-Taliban militia at the time of the blasts.
In July, another twin suicide bombing attack, also targeting tribal elders, killed more than 100 people in the village of Yakaghund in Mohmand.
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The battles erupted after about 150 Taliban attacked five paramilitary Frontier Corps checkpoints in and around Baidnami in the Mohmand Agency, one official told the AFP news agency.
The Frontier Corps said at least 12 soldiers were also hurt in the clashes.
But the Taliban said they had killed 12 soldiers and captured a checkpoint.
Two Frontier Corps soldiers had also been captured, a spokesman said. The claim was denied by security officials, who said no-one was missing.
Mohmand is a transit point for insurgents seeking to enter Afghanistan, and a stronghold of the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
The Pakistani military has launched offensives there in recent months, but insurgent attacks have continued on a regular basis.
Earlier this month, a twin suicide bomb attack at a government compound Ghalanai left 43 people dead. Local officials had been meeting tribal elders to discuss forming an anti-Taliban militia at the time of the blasts.
In July, another twin suicide bombing attack, also targeting tribal elders, killed more than 100 people in the village of Yakaghund in Mohmand.
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