Pakistani jets on Wednesday bombed Taliban hideouts in the north-west of the country, killing at least 60 militants, a security official said.
The bomb occurred as peace talks between the government and insurgents appeared close to collapse.
Military officials said hideouts of militants with links to the Pakistani Taliban were shelled in the North Waziristan tribal district, near the Afghan border, shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
“As per reports so far, 60 hard core terrorists, including some of the important commanders and foreigners, were also killed in the strikes, and around 30 were injured,’’ said a military official.
“Huge caches of arms and ammunition, including IED-making improvised explosive device explosive material, have also been destroyed in the strikes.’’
The official said that the identities of foreigners killed in the attack were not immediately known.
Another official said ground troops had launched a search operation in the town of Miranshah in the district, thought to be a base for Islamist militants from many parts of the world linked with al-Qaeda.
The reports could not be verified, as the area is inaccessible to journalists.
The rare blitz came after Taliban insurgents launched several attacks upon security forces in the area, including one that killed nine soldiers earlier this month.
The official said that intelligence reports and other investigations confirmed links between these terrorists’ acts and the group targeted in North Waziristan.
It occurred amid reports that a peace process the government launched to end the conflict had collapsed.
The authorities have refused to release Taliban prisoners or withdraw the army from Taliban strongholds.
Last month, fighter jet attacks killed more than 25 militants in the area after a series of assaults against the military.
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