15 foreign militants killed in Pakistan

Islamabad, June 10 : At least 15 suspected foreign militants and their local allies were killed in a pre-dawn attack on their hideout by Pakistani security forces in the country's troubled North Waziristan region.

Pakistani military's gunship helicopters also participated in the operations conducted early this morning on the hideout of pro-al-Qaeda militants in Drub Lokai area of Data Khel.

Chief military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan confirmed the operation and 15 fatalities but did not disclose nationalities of the terrorists, who he said, were involved in a series of attacks on security forces in last one week, which left over a dozen security personnel killed.

However, he said the dead included both local and foreign militants.

Since last April, security forces killed at least 55 suspected foreign militants during different operations in North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan's Khost province.

South and North Waziristan have been the sites of a series of military operations in last two years launched in the hunt of al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives, who fled US-led military operations in Afghanistan and took refuge in the two regions.

Hundreds of foreign Islamic militants, mostly Arabs, Uzbeks, Afghans and Chechens, were killed during military operations in the two restive areas.

UNI