Pakistan army says it lost 12 soldiers in militant attacks
Pakistan's army said on Wednesday it lost 12 soldiers in suspected militant attacks, including an assault on one of its bases.
Nine soldiers were killed at the base which the militants stormed into armed with guns, hand grenades and rockets, the army and security officials said.
In a separate incident, the army said three more soldiers died in an exchange of fire with heavily armed 'terrorists' in Sui district in the province. Two enemy combatants also died in that exchange.
The army said all five militants who stormed the base in early hours were killed in retaliatory fire. Late at night, the army announced completion of an operation to clear the area district Zhob of southern Balochistan province.
Three security officials told Reuters that the militants first hurled grenades into a military mess at the base and then waged a gunbattle lasting several hours.
The Pakistani government says militants have shifted operational bases to Afghanistan. Kabul's Islamist Taliban government denies this.
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