By DPA,
Islamabad: Pakistani security forces said Friday that troops repelled a militant attack in the troubled Bajaur tribal region, killing 10 militants.
The raid on a checkpoint in the Mula Said area also left two soldiers dead and six others wounded, the Frontier Corps paramilitary force said in a statement.
Taliban rebels have stepped up attacks on the government forces in Bajaur, located near the Afghan border, during the last few days.
In early 2009, the military had declared victory over the militants after months of intense fighting.
The tribal belt, comprising seven lawless districts, is regarded by Western countries as a hub of fighters for the terrorist network Al Qaeda and the Islamist extremist Taliban, who occasionally launch cross-border assaults on US and NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan.
The insurgents also disrupt the key supply line passing through the restive north-western region by ambushing convoys hauling fuel and military equipment into the landlocked war-torn country.