ISLAMABAD, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A suicide blast followed by armed assaults on an army fort in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province left one security forces soldier dead and four militants killed on Friday, security sources said.
The incident took place in North Waziristan district, where militants launched a coordinated attack on the Boya army fort in the morning, the sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Heavy firing continued for several hours before subsiding, the sources said.
According to preliminary information shared by the sources, four militants were killed during an exchange of fire with security forces.
Four troops were also injured in the attack, and civilian casualties were also reported, but their details had not yet been confirmed, the sources added.
Security forces cordoned off the area soon after the attack and launched a clearance operation to ensure no militants remained in the vicinity.
Meanwhile, a militant group associated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, identifying itself as Aswaad ul Harab, claimed responsibility for the attack through a message on the Telegram messaging platform, the sources said.
Authorities said investigations were underway, and security in the area has been further tightened. ■