Islamabad: Eleven civilians were killed after Pakistan's security forces mistakenly fired artillery and mortars into a residential area, while aiming for a militant hideout, local media reported on Wednesday.

The troops fired shells at suspected militant locations in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan in retaliation of an explosion that wounded one of their colleagues on Tuesday

The shells actually landed in residential areas killing many including two women and wounding dozens others, as well as damaging many houses.

Security forces and tribal militant forces later continued to face off for several hours, before calling an hour long ceasefire so locals could bury their dead and tend to the wounded.