Four Pakistani soldiers die in clashes AT least four Pakistani soldiers have been killed during an operation against militants in the troubled tribal belt on the Afghan border. Officials said on Friday the fighting took place in Khyber's Tirah valley, where the military has been bombarding Taliban and other militants who pose a fresh threat to the nearby north-western city of Peshawar. The district is a key battleground in upcoming elections. A senior security official said 14 militants were also killed in the operation, but the death toll was not possible to verify independently as the area is cut off to journalists and aid workers. "Four soldiers embraced martyrdom and five others were wounded in a gunfight," the official added. A second official also confirmed the incident. Pakistani troops have been fighting for years against homegrown insurgents in the north-western tribal belt, where the United States has accused them of not doing enough to crack down.