According to an army officer, 23 Taliban fighters and seven troopers were killed in a clash which occurred Monday near the Afghan border.

A Taliban spokesman said that 17 troopers were taken hostage.

The clash occurred after a paramilitary convoy was ambushed by the Taliban in Mohmand district. The army opened fire using artillery and helicopter gunship, Reuters reports.

Military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said: “The militants attacked a security forces convoy and the forces responded with the help of local people, killing 23 of the attackers,” AFP quoted.

When it was attacked, the convoy was on its way to Ghalanai.

The death toll of Islamist fighters was denied by Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for the Taliban in Pakistan. He said that the Islamist fighters killed seven troopers and took other 17 prisoners.

He said: "We'll not stop our fight until the government withdraws forces and ends operations in tribal regions and Swat."

Mohmand is adjacent to Bajaur district, known to support groups who are allied to al Qaeda. Mohmand is also one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal agencies and this was the first major attack here.

Almost 90,000 troops have been sent by the government in the tribal districts from north in order to counteract the influence of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

The attack on Monday came after the battle from South Waziristan tribal district occurred last week. The army said it had rejected the attack of almost 300 militants and killed almost 50 of them.

Swathes in the Swat valley were taken over by the militants and proclaimed there Islamic law. Afterwards they were sent to the mountains by army troops.