Two soldiers including Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Malik also lost their lives in the clash.
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Shawal is the stronghold of different militant groups and is used to stage attacks on security forces and government installations all over the country.
Both attacks were claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, who the army has been battling in North Waziristan since it launched a full-scale military operation in the area in June previous year.
According to Pakistani army’s media wing, the clash occurred in the region’s remote Shawal Valley near the Afghanistan border. Before the operation began, the army ordered most civilians to leave.
Last week, Pakistan army had launched a ground offensive to cleanse Shawal town of North Waziristan from militants. Subsequently, the Foreign Office summoned Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai and lodged a strong protest over the shelling.
The military spokesman, Asim Bajwa, said last month that the forces have already completed the first phase of the ground offensive in Shawal area and the second is being planned to take control of the few pockets.
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“The militants have been besieged there for weeks now”, the ISPR chief said.
