ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military said a soldier and four militants were killed on Sunday in a shootout during a raid near the border with Afghanistan.

The military said two soldiers were also injured during the raid in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

North Waziristan served as a headquarters for local and foreign militants until 2017, when the army said it had cleared the mountainous region of insurgents following several operations. The region still sees sporadic attacks, mainly targeting security forces.

Such incidents have raised fears that the Pakistani Taliban are regrouping.