MIRAMSHAH: Nine security personnel were killed and three others injured in a roadside blast in Ghulam Khan tehsil of North Waziristan tribal region on Thursday.

Also on Thursday clashes between rival factions of Taliban in Shawal tehsil of North Waziristan tribal region left 10 militants dead and 14 injured.

Security officials confirmed the death of nine personnel in the Ghulam Khan tehsil blast.

They said a convoy was going to Zero Point from the Ghulam Khan camp near the Afghan border when one of its vehicles was hit by the blast on the Miramshah-Ghulam Khan road.

The explosive device had been placed on the road and detonated by remote control when the convoy was passing through the area.

The deceased were identified as Abdul Latif, Aziz, Roze Ullah, Saeedullah, Danish, Gul Alam, Sadiqullah, Naeemullah and Arif.

The injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital in Miramshah.

After the blast security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search for assailants.

Sources said helicopter gunships pounded militants’ positions in the area and destroyed several hideouts. According to local people, canon and mortar shells were also fired from a camp. But, there was no report of casualties till late night.

Meanwhile, the sources said that clashes between the Sanja and Shehryar groups of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) erupted in North Waziristan earlier this week had so far left 22 militants dead on both sides.

The clashes on Thursday started in the morning when militants of the Khan Said group attacked the position of Shehryar group’s commander Shamim in Wacha Mella.

According to the sources, both sides used light and heavy weapons.

They said elders of the Mehsud tribe were trying to broker a ceasefire, but had not achieved any success till late Thursday night.