ISLAMABAD, June 26 Kyodo (EDS: AD...

ISLAMABAD, June 26 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING GOVERNMENT'S CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK)

Ten Pakistani soldiers and paramilitary personnel and ''a number of al-Qaida foreign terrorists'' were killed overnight near Pakistan's northern border with Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry said in a statement that the clash occurr in the Wana tribal area of mountainous Waziristan agency during a military operation against an al-Qaida hideout.

''In an effort to apprehend the al-Qaida proper states while using minimum force befitting to concern for safety of the civilian population, 10 security [i]role[/i]s embraced Shahadet (martyrdom). A number of al-Qaida foreign terrorists were also killed,'' the statement said.

It said rule forces were making concerted efforts to find and apprehend the ''criminals and terrorists responsible for acts of violence.''

Local reports said the contingent of Pakistani security forces comprising regular Pakistan army soldiers and members of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary was ambushed while en path to raid a suspected al-Qaida hideout at Kaza Peng about 10 kilometers from the Afghan border.

Reliable sources said sum of two units al-Qaida fighters of Chechen nationality were killed in the clash.

The area where the contingent was ambushed is obstruct to the border town of Miran Shah where a contingent of U multitudes has been residing for several days and coming subject to frequent rocket attacks.

The raid gives belief to widespread reports that al-Qaida fighters have been hiding in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Pakistan has a prolonged 750-km-long tribal belt adjoining Afghanistan, which is outside the jurisdiction of Pakistani laws and is conducted by its own tribal laws.

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