Gunships kill 22 militants

ARMY helicopter gunships pounded insurgent hideouts in northwest Pakistan yesterday, killing at least 22 militants, a government official said.

Samiullah Khan said the hideouts hit were in the Dabori area and its neighbouring villages of the Orakzai tribal region near the Afghan border. He added the aerial strikes also destroyed six militant compounds. Thousands of people have fled the area.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry said there have been 173 civilian deaths in violence in Afghanistan from March 21 to April 21.