Pakistani security forces launched an operation against Taliban militants in the nation's tribal region along the border with Afghanistan on Tuesday, shutting down NATO supply routes, Pakistani military sources said, CNN reported.
Eight people -- two suspected Taliban militants and six civilians -- died in the operation in the Khyber Agency that involved military helicopter gunships, according to Pakistani intelligence sources. The fighting was taking place near the town of Jamrud.
The Khyber Pass, a key transit link for NATO and U.S. military supplies from Pakistan to Afghanistan, has been closed as a result of the operation, said Tariq Hayat, Khyber's political agent. He said he didn't know when it would reopen.
Earlier this month, Taliban militants fired rockets at a supply terminal in Peshawar that sits along the route. The attack left two people dead, two others wounded and 12 trucks ablaze.
And last month, Pakistani officials suspended travel through the mountain pass, citing security concerns. They reversed their decision a day later.