Islamabad: At least 35 Pakistani Taliban
fighters have been killed in US air strikes in Afghanistan
after they attacked a convoy of foreign troops, reports from
the Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan said on Tuesday.
The reports said that a group of 100 Pakistani Taliban
militants fired missiles and rockets at a convoy of foreign
forces in Paktiya on Friday.
US ground forces sought air cover and NATO fighter
jets targeted the Pakistani militants, killing 35 of them.
Over a dozen rebels were injured. They were brought to
hospitals in North Waziristan Agency, the reports said.
Those who were killed included militants from
Pakistani Taliban groups led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah
Nazir.
Punjabi Taliban militants too were among the dead and
injured, residents of Waziristan said.
The Taliban factions led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur and
Mullah Nazir have struck peace deals with the Pakistan
government but they are accused by the US of sending fighters
across the border into Afghanistan.
US drones routinely target militants of both groups in
Waziristan.
Pakistani militants are now trying to transfer the
bodies to Waziristan, sources said.
But local residents said most of those killed were
local tribesmen and people were visiting their relatives to
offer condolences.
PTI
