PAKISTANI SECURITY FORCES BACKED BY HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS AND SUSPECTED MUSLIM MILITANTS BATTLED WEDNESDAY IN A NORTHWESTERN TRIBAL REGION NEAR THE AFGHAN BORDER, LEAVING FOUR SOLDIERS AND FIVE FIGHTERS DEAD, AN ARMY SPOKESMAN SAID. ANOTHER 15 MILITANTS SURRENDERED AND LAID DOWN THEIR WEAPONS IN THE FIGHTING IN NORTH WAZIRISTAN TRIBAL REGION, SPOKESMAN MAJ. GEN. SHAUKAT SULTAN SAID. 'THERE IS AN EXCHANGE OF FIRE GOING ON' IN SHAWAL, A RUGGED, FORESTED AREA ABOUT 15 KILOMETERS (9 MILES) FROM THE AFGHAN BORDER, HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
