Pakistan: Dozens of militants killed

Security forces have clashed with militants in two north-west Pakistani tribal regions, killing more than 50 alleged insurgents, a paramilitary statement and a government official.

Meanwhile, intelligence officials said that a suspected US missile strike in a nearby tribal region had killed five people, but none was believed to be a foreign al-Qaida fighter.

Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, in a vague, two-sentence press release yesterday, said its paramilitary troops killed 27 alleged insurgents, including two “important commanders”, in the Orakzai tribal region.

The clashes followed Friday’s suicide bombing in Orakzai that killed dozens of anti-Taliban tribesmen.