Islamabad- The Pakistani army said on Tuesday its troops killed at least seven Islamic militants and injured several others in the troubled Bajaur tribal district that borders Afghanistan.

"Militants' fortified positions and hide outs around the Loi Sam area were today engaged in heavy fire," military spokesman Major Murad Khan told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Three explosive-laden vehicles were also destroyed by the security forces in Kat Kot area, he added.

Kabul- Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a call for peace to Taliban militants, including their leader Mullah Omar, on Tuesday, while three US-led coalition soldiers were killed in a roadside attack in southern Afghanistan.

On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the religious holiday that comes at the end of the Muslim month of fasting, or Ramadan, Karzai called on the Taliban to stop their insurgency and join the peace process set out by his government.

Kabul, Sept 30: Around 20,000 Pakistanis have fled their country and taken refuge in Afghanistan due to the ongoing fight between Pakistani security forces and the Taliban in Bajaur Agency, a statement released by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said.

The United Nations’ refugee agency said that nearly 4000 families had fled Bajaur into Afghanistan's Kunar province.

The fighting in Bajaur tribal area had displaced as many as 500,000 people, the Daily Times quoted UN officials as saying.

Kabul, Sept. 29: Afghanistan’s senior-most policewoman – Malalai Kakar -- was shot dead outside her home in Kandahar city on Sunday, as she was proceeding for work. Her 18-year-old son, who was driving her to work, was also grievously injured.

A Guardian report said that two gunmen shot Kakar at point blank range.

Kakar, 41, was the head of the department of crimes against women in Kandahar, and had led many police house searches in Kandahar leading to the seizure of arms and drugs.

Kabul, Sept. 29: A nervous fear seems to have gripped most Afghan civilians, especially educated women, in the wake of the Taliban making a determined bid to regain the power that it lost seven years ago.

According to The Times, the jihadists are now just 20 minutes from Kabul.

Nobody seriously thinks the Taliban could take Kabul. The capital is surrounded by mountains, has only a few routes in and remained almost untouched during the Russian occupation.

Afghanistan has more than 71,000 foreign troops under the leadership of NATO and the US, neither of which can contemplate defeat.

However, the fear among Kabulis is palpable. “There is a sense of dread of return to the dark days of the past,” said a western diplomat.

Mamond Agency, Sept 29: Despite unhappiness expressed by Pakistan over US’ air strikes over the past few weeks, the US and NATO spy planes and helicopters continued to violate Pakistan’s airspace on Sunday.

According to a private TV report, the US drones were seen flying over Mamond and areas of North and South Waziristan causing panic among local people.

Besides, two NATO helicopters were also seen hovering over Chaman near the Pak-Afghan border, the Daily Times quoted the TV report as saying.

Following these two incidents, the Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were placed on high alert, even as FC sources said that NATO helicopters had not crossed the border at Chaman, but were seen flying over the border.