KHAR: Scores of armed militants crossed the border from Afghanistan on Thursday and stormed a village, killing five civilians, officials said.
It was the third such attack reportedly carried out by hundreds of fighters into northwest Pakistan this month, and underscored the porous nature of the border and systemic insecurity posed by militants.
The militants targeted Mamoond village in Bajaur district, which borders the Afghan province of Kunar, despite the presence of security checkpoints erected to check Taliban militants.
"Some 250-300 militants targeted civilians in Mamoond. At least five civilians, including two women were killed," local government official Fazle Akbar told AFP.
Akbar said three women were also wounded in the attack, which took place about 65 kilometers northwest of Khar, the main town in Bajaur.
"We have sent army and paramilitary troops to the area as we got reports that militants are still present there," a security official told AFP.
"Some militants were also killed when troops in the area responded, but we do not know the number of casualties yet," the official said.
At the time, Pakistan conveyed "strong concern" to the Afghan ambassador to Islamabad, calling for "stern action" by Afghan and US-led NATO troops to crack down on militants in eastern Afghanistan.
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011
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