Lakki Marwat – Militants attacked Army checkpost 23 killed, 10 civilian

Lakki Marwat – Four Taliban militants wearing suicide vests blew themselves up an automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at an Pakistan Army post in a pre-dawn assault Saturday, killing 23 people, including 10 civilians.

Twelve militants  also were killed in the assault.

The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the attack was in response to a U.S drone strike in neighboring North Waziristan last month in which two commenders were killed.

INCPak, reported this incident right after it happened, Cross-firing between militants and Pakistan Army carried on for almost 2 hours, in early hours it was unclear about the causalities.

The Militants also targeted a house next to the camp with rockets, in which 10 members of the one family, including three children killed.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan claimed responsibility for the attack in a telephone call to The Associated Press from an undisclosed location. He said four suicide bombers were involved in the attack. He said that three of them were killed and the fourth was still resisting as of his call at around 9:20 a.m. local time.

Ahsan said the attack was in retaliation for the recent deaths of two Taliban commanders in U.S. drone strikes. He accused the Pakistani army of helping with the attacks. Pakistani officials often criticize drone operations as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, but are known to have assisted some U.S. strikes in the past.

INCPak