Pak army kills 85 militants: Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani military on Saturday said 85 militants have been killed in three days of fighting near the Afghan border as its troops carried out their biggest ever operations within the country using fighters, helicopter gunships, tanks and artillery.

An army spokesman said that air and ground attacks had been intensified to flush out Taliban and local militants from the Bajaur tribal region.

He said fierce clashes which began on Thursday night continued the whole of yesterday and this morning killing 85 militants and eight soldiers, the spokesperson told Dawn newspaper.

The clashes triggered another exodus from the troubled areas to lower Dir and other adjoining districts.

The daily quoted sources as saying six foreign militants were killed in the attack and scores of others reported injured.

The operation was launched, army sources said, after 80 heavily armed Taliban were moving to ambush a convoy.

Troops clashed with militants in Lowi Sam, Taang Khatta, Khazana, Banda, Glokas, Baicheena and Kirala, killing more than 25 of them.

The report said that after consolidating their position in Lowi Sam, troops were now planning to advance into the Taliban strongholds in the mountainous areas of Charmang, Nawagai, Mamond and Chamar Kand Tehsil.