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Peshawar: At least 13 paramilitary forces and three militants were killed in a weekend ambush and shootout in northwestern Pakistan, an official said on Sunday.
Hangu district mayor Haji Khan Afzal confirmed the latest death toll, and authorities are still trying to retrieve bodies.
The clash on Saturday underscored the shaky hold Pakistan has over stretches of its northwest, where Taliban - and Al Qaida - linked militants are believed to have found safe havens and where insurgents have often clashed with Pakistani troops.
Meanwhile, the fate of a group of hostages held by Taliban fighters in the same region remained unclear hours after a militant-set deadline to start killing them passed.
Details of the clashes were varied. Aslam Khan, a local police official in Hangu district, said a group of militants ambushed a Frontier Constabulary convoy in the Zargari area. The paramilitary forces returned fire.
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