Pakistani troops have killed at least 24 militants with links to al-Qaeda in a tribal region near the Afghan border.
The clashes occurred yesterday in the Bajaur region, where Pakistani security forces launched a major offensive against Islamic militants in August.
The strike, which involved helicopter gunships and artillery, began yesterday afternoon and continued into the early hours of this morning, according to a security official.
‘At least four militants and two locals were also killed in an exchange of fire between a tribal lashkar (army) and rebels [yesterday] in Bajaur,’ the official added.
The tribal army was formed last week to take action against militants hiding in the area, who local tribesmen say are undermining their power structure.
There was no way to independently verify the death toll.
The Pakistani military says more than 1,000 rebel fighters have been killed since it launched its offensive in Bajaur, including al-Qaeda's operational commander in the region, Egyptian Abu Saeed Al-Masri.
Pakistan's tribal regions have been wracked by violence since thousands of Taliban and al-Qaeda rebels fled to the country after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001.
Violence linked to Pakistan's role in the ‘war on terror’ has claimed the lives of more than 1,300 people in suicide and bomb attacks in the past year.
