25 Pakistani forces die in cross-border raid

ISLAMABAD—Police say militants from Afghanistan have killed at least 23 Pakistani security troops in a clash that is still going on a day after the incursion.

The attack began Wednesday in Shaltalo town in Upper Dir district, after some 200 militants crossed the leaky border.

Police official Johar Khan says three security forces have also been wounded. Khan said on Thursday that the militants are believed to have suffered significant casualties as well.

Like the nearby Pakistani tribal regions, Upper Dir has witnessed Al Qaeda and Taliban militant activity. Pakistan’s army has gone after militants there, but the porous border has undercut those efforts.

Militants can easily cross from one side to the other, and often have ties to insurgent groups on both sides of the boundary.

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