20 militants killed in northwest Pakistan

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PESHAWAR, (Pakistan), Aug 22 (AFP): Pakistani troops killed 20 Taliban militants Friday in operations near the Afghan border, a day after a double suicide bombing killed 64 people at a major arms factory, officials said.

Pakistan's shaky coalition government is struggling with an upsurge in Taliban bloodshed, with Thursday's attack near Islamabad being the second big attack since Pervez Musharraf resigned as president on Monday.

Police said fifteen rebels, including several would-be suicide bombers, were killed in return fire when they attacked an army checkpost near the restive town of Hangu on Friday.

Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas confirmed the clash but said he did not have details of casualties.

Taliban militants besieged a police station and kidnapped several government officials in Hangu in July.

Meanwhile, in the adjoining region of Bajaur, one of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal zones bordering Afghanistan, military helicopter gunships killed another five rebels, officials said.

A major military offensive in Bajaur in the last two weeks has left more than 500 people dead, most of them militants, officials say.