35 militants killed after air raids in Pak`s tribal regions

Islamabad, Oct 19 (PTI) At least 35 pro-Taliban militants were killed on Sunday in the Pakistan's restive north-western's Bajaur and Swat valley after security forces backed by fighter-jets pounded their suspected hideouts.

Reports from Swat said at least 25 militants were
killed in the air strikes by the jets, the first such attacks
in the region since the security forces launched a drive
against the Taliban last year.

Initially, only artillery and gunship helicopters were
used to hit militant positions. State-run P.T.V. also reported
the bombing of militant positions by jets in Swat.

In Bajaur Agency, 10 militants were killed in air
strikes carried out by combat jets, official sources said.
Witnesses who fled the areas of Barthana and Shur in Swat
that were bombed said the attacks destroyed several houses and
a mosque.

Many people were buried under the rubble of destroyed
houses, they said. Witnesses said local residents pulled 20
bodies from the rubble and were searching for more injured or
dead who could be under the debris.

Witnesses who arrived in Matta town said the bombing
started at 8 a.m. (local time), forcing local residents to
flee. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan too confirmed the bombing
and said several militants were injured.

He said the fighter jets started bombing at 8 a.m. and
the attacks continued for an hour. He said the "houses of
civilians" were targeted.

Local journalists said the house of Taliban commander
Alam Khan and a nearby mosque were hit. They said the mosque
was completely destroyed in the attack. The bombing created
panic among the local population and they started fleeing on
foot and in vehicles to other parts of the valley.

The army spokesman in Swat said fighter jets bombed
militant positions but did not say anything about casualties.
The army had claimed on Saturday that it had killed 60 Taliban
fighters and wounded many others during strikes in Swat.

The fresh offencive coincided with a surprise visit
to Pakistan by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard
Boucher, who yesterday met interior ministry chief Rehman
Malik to discuss the security situation. Boucher held talks
with President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday.

The U.S. has hailed the military offencive against
the Taliban though a majority of Pakistani lawmakers in an
ongoing in-camera joint session of parliament have called for
an end to military operations.

Reports said the U.S. has deployed a small unit of
25 Special Forces personnel in Pakistan to train the
paramilitary Frontier Corps for anti-militancy operations. The
training of Pakistani troops by the U.S. personnel was also
discussed by Boucher and Malik yesterday. PTI