PESHAWAR: Ten militants and one security official were killed in a clash in the Orakzai tribal region on Thursday, DawnNews reported.

Official sources said that the militants staged an attack on security personnel who were busy in a search operation in upper Orakzai. One soldier was killed while three others were injured in the clash, sources added.

Security forces in retaliation killed 10 militants and also destroyed five insurgent hideouts.

There is no independent verification of the attacks and casualties, and militants often dispute official accounts.

Orakzai is one of the most lawless areas in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region, which is made up of seven districts near the Afghan border.

Pakistan launched a major operation in Orakzai in March last year after militants fled a sweeping offensive in the nearby tribal district of South Waziristan.

Late last year military officials said lower Orakzai had been cleared, but the militant threat persisted in some pockets of the upper part of the area.