70 militants killed, fort retaken, Pakistan says

Pakistani authorities said they killed more than 70 Islamist militants in two separate clashes Friday and recaptured a fort in the largely lawless tribal region near the Afghan border.

At last 50 militants who had assembled to attack a fort in the town of Laddah were killed by barrages of mortar and artillery fire, officials said. Meanwhile, army troops took back the abandoned Sipla Toi fort in the South Waziristan tribal region, the sources said.

In another clash, at least 20 militants were killed when they tried to attack a convoy in the Chagmalai area, authorities said.

The number of deaths could not be independently confirmed.

Security forces carried out heavy shelling in an area dominated by the Mahsud tribe, forcing inhabitants to flee. Residents said heavy shelling rocked houses, killing two people, including a young girl.

Militants, meanwhile, fired six rockets into a military base in the Shakai area.