At least three soldiers and 24 militants¹ have been killed in a series of clashes in a tribal² region of north-western Pakistan, officials have said.

巴基斯坦官员称，西北部某部落地区发生一系列冲突，至少3位士兵、24位激进分子在冲突中丧生。

The battles erupted（爆发） after about 150 Taliban attacked five paramilitary Frontier Corps³ checkpoints in Baidnami, a village in the Mohmand Agency, a security official told AFP news agency.

The Frontier Corps said at least 12 soldiers were also hurt in the clashes.

But the Taliban said they had killed 12 soldiers and captured a checkpoint.

He also said two Frontier Corps soldiers had been captured. The claim was denied by security officials, who insisted no-one was missing.

Mohmand borders Afghanistan and is a stronghold of the Taliban.

The Pakistani military has launched offensives there in recent months, but insurgent⁴（叛乱的，起义的） attacks have continued on a regular basis.

Earlier this month, a twin suicide bomb attack at a government compound Ghalanai left 43 people dead. Local officials had been meeting tribal elders to discuss forming an anti-Taliban militia⁵（民兵组织，自卫队） at the time of the blasts.

In July, another twin suicide bombing attack, also targeting tribal elders, killed more than 100 people in the village of Yakaghund in Mohmand.