8 militants, 1 Pakistani soldier killed in Afghan border clash

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Eight militants and one Pakistani soldier died in a chaotic border battle in which Afghan and Pakistani troops mistakenly traded fire in pre-dawn darkness, the Pakistan army said. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said militants attacked an Afghan border post across from Pakistan's Bajur region early Wednesday. The Afghan troops shot back but also hit a nearby Pakistani border post, he said. Pakistani troops retaliated, sparking a shootout in which one Pakistani soldier died and another was wounded, Abbas said. The Pakistani troops reported that at least eight militants were killed on the Afghan side of the frontier. Abbas said the exchange between Afghan and Pakistani troops was a "misunderstanding" in the heat of a battle made confusing by the darkness and rough terrain.