Parachinar: A local government official says Pakistani security forces have killed at least 20 militants near the Afghan border.
Sami Ullah said troops also captured six insurgents after the intense gunbattle on Saturday in the northwestern Orakzai tribal region.
It was not immediately possible to get independent confirmation of the casualties and the identities of those killed in the remote and volatile region.
Pakistani forces launched an operation in Orakzai in mid-March to flush out militants who last year fled an Army onslaught further south.
Ullah said about 250 militants have died so far.
The fighting has forced out at least 10,000 civilians who have moved to a government camp in nearby Kohat. Orakzai usually has a population of 450,000.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, April 03, 2010, 14:04