Seven Pakistan Troops Killed as US Commander Visits

Source: Al-Manar TV, 2-1-2008
Seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in a raid on a fort near the Afghan border Tuesday, as a top US commander met the country's army chief to discuss how to tackle the militants. Residents said two civilians died in military air strikes after the attack in the South Waziristan tribal zone, the hideout of an Al-Qaeda-linked warlord accused of masterminding the murder of Benazir Bhutto.
Fighting has escalated sharply in the rugged region since former premier Bhutto was assassinated last month, with more than 150 militants and soldiers said to have been killed since the start of the year.
The clashes came hours before Admiral William Fallon, head of US Central Command which deals with the Middle East, met Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday began meetings in France, the second leg of a European tour aimed at shoring up his battered image.