Taliban militants stormed the home of a pro-government militia leader and shot him dead yesterday as troops continued a cleanup operation in northwest Pakistan, officials said.
More than 50 Taliban raided the residence of Khalilur Rehman and killed him in Shangla district near Buner where the army was engaged in an anti-militant operation, police and local lawmaker Mohammad Fazlullah told AFP.
Rehman, 60, who had formed a tribal militia known as lashkar, used to provide logistic support to the anti-Taliban fighters, residents said.
"He was shot dead soon after he entered the meeting hall of his house," senior police officer Gul Wali said adding that Rehman's servant was wounded.
Security forces retaliated and killed two militants, he said.
The Pakistani army launched an offensive to dislodge Taliban guerrillas from the northwestern districts of Buner, Lower Dir and Swat after rebels flouted a peace deal and thrust further south towards the capital Islamabad in April.
In another incident three paramilitary soldiers were wounded when Taliban attacked a military post in the tribal North Waziristan area, security officials said.
A local administration official said militants attacked Dosally post after midnight and an exchange of fire continued for more than an hour.
The gun battle also left three militants dead and four injured, he said.
Hundreds of Islamist fighters are believed to have fled Afghanistan into Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal areas to carve out safe havens after the US-led invasion in late 2001 toppled the hardline Taliban regime in Kabul.
Separately a lawyer was wounded and his guard was killed when a remote controlled bomb exploded near his car in the northwestern town of Dera Ismail Khan, police said.