Reporting from Islamabad - Dozens of militants attacked a Pakistani security outpost Saturday in an area near the Afghan border, leaving 18 people dead and adding another trouble spot to the nation’s extended list. At a time when Pakistan’s army has gone on the offensive against Pakistani Taliban fighters spreading out from the Swat Valley, the attack called into question how effective and long-lasting some of its efforts may be. Saturday’s attack in the northwestern Mohmand tribal region took place in an area where the military had claimed it had driven out the militants and dismantled various mini-states. The clash underscored the frustration Pakistan’s traditionally trained and organized army faces battling a fluid insurgency. It also raises questions about why the military hasn’t done more to change its orientation away from conventional warfare or at least build up its capacity to battle both kinds of foes. The army said in a statement Saturday that about 100 insurgents attacked the Spinal Tangi post before sunrise. ‘Sixteen militants were killed in retaliatory fire,’ the statement said, while two members of the security forces also died. The area is strategically important given its proximity to Peshawar, the […]