Islamabad - Suspected Islamist militants shot dead a Pakistani army brigadier and his driver in the capital city on Thursday, officials said. The early morning attack came as the country's army said it had killed 24 rebels in intense battles with the Taliban in a lawless tribal district along the Afghan border.
Fierce fighting is continuing in South Waziristan, where more than 30,000 foot soldiers mounted a strong offensive at the weekend after a string of brazen attacks across Pakistan that killed up to 170 people.
The Thursday's assault on the army brigadier in the capital was the latest in this wave, which prompted the authorities to put in place stringent security measures while bracing for more terrorist strikes.
Gunmen, who were riding a motorbike, ambushed the military jeep on the fringes of an upmarket residential neighbourhood in Islamabad, killing the brigadier and his driver, local police chief Kaleem Imam said.
Another soldier in the vehicle was wounded in the attack. The gunmen sprayed the marked jeep with bullets, firing around a dozen shots through the windscreen.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Imam blamed "terrorists and militants," referring to Taliban and al-Qaeda militants who are outraged due to the military assault on their bases in the rugged, mountainous South Waziristan.
The Pakistan Army said in a statement on Thursday the troops had secured Tor Ghundai feature that is located near Kotkai, the home town of Taliban Hakimullah Mehsud.
The Taliban have put up stiff resistance in Kotkai since Saturday, when the ground troops launched the crucial operation.
"A series of bunkers and caves have been neutralized. Terrorists have left the area after suffering heavy casualties. Reportedly, 13 terrorists have been killed," read the statement.
Taliban insurgents raided the security installations in another area of Sherwangi, killing one and injuring three soldiers.
"The attack was repulsed inflicting heavy casualties on to attackers. Eleven terrorists were killed and a number of them were injured," the army said.
Washington and NATO authorities have cheered the South Waziristan operation that is taking a toll on Pakistan's economy.
Pakistani stocks continued a downward slide on Thursday, with the Karachi Stock Exchange's benchmark KSE-100 falling 1.01 per cent from 9225 to 9138, ending at a one-month low.
The stocks stumbled on the fears that foreign investors were pulling out because of the worsening security situation.
The KSE-index has recently recovered from a major slump in 2008. It gained more than 56 per cent after losing over 58 per cent in 2008.
