Six killed in mortar attack in Pakistan's tribal area

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 23 -- At least six people were killed and 10 others injured as mortar shell hit civilians in Pakistan's Khyber tribal area Monday, local TV channel reported.

According to official sources, some unidentified persons fired mortar shell from an unknown location, which landed in Landi Kotal Bazaar, leaving six persons dead, the private channel DAWN News reported.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, clashes erupted in the Landi Kotal tehsil of Khyber Agency after some unidentified persons attacked a security checkpost.

Sources said that clashes between security force and militants were still going on in the lawless tribal region along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan

Local media reported that a full-scale military operation would be launched in Khyber and Orakzai tribal agencies simultaneously to purge the two tribal regions of militants and protect the nearby city Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, and other major cities from militants' attacks.

Pakistan army launched an operation in Khyber in September when Taliban militants frequently attacked security forces and tried to expand their activities into neighboring Peshawar.