At least three security personnel were killed and a dozen others were injured in a series of attacks on several security posts in Khyber district early Friday morning.
The assaults took place as security forces attempted to intercept militants infiltrating the Rajgal Valley from Afghanistan, reports Dawn.
Sources said this was the first time that the banned Gul Bahadur group and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan jointly carried out attacks in the region, expanding their operations beyond their usual strongholds in Bannu, Lakki Mar颅wat and Karak to the Khyber district.
Confirming the death of three soldiers, the military鈥檚 media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said that four militants were also killed.
ISPR identified the three soldiers, including Havildar Inam Gul, 37, resident of Mianwali district; Sepoy Muhammad Imran, 29, resident of Tank district; and Sepoy Iltaf Khan, 22, resident of Mardan district.
Local sources, however, put the death toll higher, with some accounts saying that up to six security men had laid down their lives on Friday.
Friday鈥檚 attacks came days after the government labelled the outlawed TTP as Fitna al Khawarij and proscribed two more outfits, Majeed Brigade and Gul Bahadur group, taking the total number of banned organisations to 81.
Local sources described an intense gun battle between security forces and militants, with heavy weaponry being used.
The Gul Bahadur group claimed responsibility for the assault on the Zangi check-post near Bagh Markaz in Tirah, marking their first major attack outside North Waziristan and Bannu. In a statement, the group also claimed to have destroyed an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and an excavator with a landmine planted on the road leading to the checkpost.
Meanwhile, a civilian lost his life and six others, including three police personnel, were injured in two separate militant attacks in Bannu district.
In one incident, a police patrol came under fire near the Nurar area within the Miryan police station鈥檚 jurisdiction. The SHO of the police station, Khalid Khan, was among the injured.
A civilian, identified as Shakir Khan, was fatally shot and died on the spot. Two police officers 鈥� Sabir and Hasan 鈥� and two other civilians were also injured in the attack.