Officials say at least nine militants and four Pakistani soldiers have died in a gunbattle near the Afghan border. An intelligence official and an army officer say the clash took place Wednesday in the stronghold of a Taliban senior commander in the South Waziristan tribal region. Troops backed by helicopter gunships targeted militant hide-outs in the region. The officials spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The fighting came two days after two Taliban commanders acknowledged that their chief,Baitullah Mehsud,had died following an August 5 US missile strike in the North Waziristan tribal region. Taliban members say they have selected Hakimullah Mehsud as the group's new leader.
