Troops backed by jets and helicopter gunships have killed 40 militants in Mohmand tribal area in the past three days, a military commander said Thursday. Brigadier Aftab Ahmad told AFP by telephone that his forces had destroyed 17 militant hideouts in the Baizai region under his command in tribal area of Mohmand.
"Militants were regularly attacking our posts on the Afghanistan border at Shonkari and Mithai and also targeting goods vehicles going to Afghanistan," he said. "An operation was launched three days ago with the support of army aviation aircraft, helicopters and fighter jets. We killed at least 40 militants," Ahmad said. Maqsood Hussain, a government official in Baizai, confirmed the raids and casualties, but it was not immediately clear how the Pakistani officials reached the body count of 40.