PARACHINAR, Jan 24: Two soldiers and seven militants were killed in a gunfight in central Kurram on Tuesday. Two security men were injured.

According to officials, the gunfight erupted when troops fired back on militants who had attacked a checkpost in Jogi area of the central tehsil, killing Salman Khan and Assad Khan.

The officials claimed that seven militants had been killed in the clash.

The claim, however, could not be verified from independent sources.

Military and paramilitary troops launched operation in the area about a month ago and reported to have killed over 250 militants.

Security forces had launched a major operation in central Kurram last summer and declared that the area had been cleared of militants.