Two Pakistani villagers were killed as security forces exchanged fire with al Qaeda linked militants in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, doctors and residents said on Thursday. Pakistani artillery pounded mountains overnight near Shakai, located around 50 km (30 miles) northwest of South Waziristan's main town of Wana, residents said. "There was heavy artillery fire all night," a resident said. The military appeared to be targeting militants hiding in mountains, he said. Wounded villagers brought to a state-run hospital in Wana said two people had been killed during the fighting, doctors and residents said. The army made no comment on the latest incident in the semi-autonomous region where more than 200 troops, militants and tribespeople were killed during offensives to drive out al Qaeda linked militants and their local allies between March and June. The militants are mostly armed with rocket launchers and light weapons. Usually they carry out hit-and-run attacks on military posts, prompting fierce responses from the army. In a separate incident, militants attacked a military convoy in Khamrung region of neighbouring North Waziristan, killing a soldier and wounding two others including an army colonel. The attack occurred on Wednesday evening, a security official said . The area is located around 75 km (45 miles) south of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan. Foreign militants and their local supporters have intensified their attacks on security forces in response to the army crackdown on their hide-outs. --SP 1602 Local Time 1302 GMT
