45 killed in raids on militant hideouts

Pakistan army jets and helicopters targeted militant hideouts near the Afghan border, killing 45 people identified as insurgents or members of their families, including women and children, said security officials.

By The Newsroom

Published 1st Sep 2010, 18:38 BST

Updated 1st Sep 2010, 19:23 BST

The attacks happened in the Teerah Valley in the Khyber region, where al-Qaida and Taliban militants are known to have found sanctuary.

There was no independent confirmation of the casualty figures because the area is too dangerous for outsiders to visit.

There were few details about the raids, except that they took place in several villages.

One security official said some vehicles rigged with explosives had also been destroyed.

In April, the Teerah Valley was hit by army air strikes which killed about 60 civilians. The army, which initially described the victims as insurgents, ended up paying compensation to their families and its chief issued a rare public apology.

A bomb in Afghanistan’s volatile southern city of Kandahar killed the director of an office for facilitating pil-grimages to Islamic holy sites.

Pakistan Taliban