29 militants killed in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Twenty-nine militants were killed in fighting with the security forces in northwest Pakistan Friday, a media report said.

The fighting took place in the Kurram and Orakzai areas.

Eighteen militants were killed at a checkpoint in Orakzai, Geo TV said.

Lt. Col. Tahir Akram, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps, said the insurgents from the nearby Khyber region attacked the security personnel stationed at the checkpoint to retake it.

Orakzai is a stronghold of the Taliban.

Four militants were captured and one soldier was wounded in the process, he said.

Later Friday, 11 militants were killed in a shootout in Kurram Agency.