At least five militants were killed in clashes with security forces in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of Khyber Agency on Thursday, an army statement said.Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the mouthpiece of the Pakistani army, said in the statement that the militants attacked a check-post of the security forces in Daroodrab area of Khyber Agency, a semi-autonomous tribal area along Pakistan-Afghanistan border.The troops gave a befitting response and killed five militants in the retaliatory attack, the statement said adding that no casualty was reported among the troops.
The identity of the killed militants was not revealed yet but outlawed groups Lashkar-e-Islam and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were found involved in such attacks on security forces in the past.The attack happened at a time when the forces are launching an armed offensive "Operation Zarb-e-Azb" in the neighbouring tribal area of North Waziristan to eradicate militancy from the region.The operation has broken the backbone of the militants, according to the ISPR, but they still carry out sporadic attacks on forces and general public whenever chance arises for them.