24 militants killed in Pak tribal area

---

KHAR, Pakistan, Oct 13 (AFP): Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gunships and artillery killed at least 24 militants with links to Al-Qaeda in a tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said Monday
The clashes occurred Sunday in the Bajaur region, where Pakistani security forces launched a major offensive against Islamic militants in August.
"Helicopter gunships and artillery pounded hideouts of militants Sunday, killing at least 24 rebels and wounding 10 others", a security official said.
He said that the shelling which began Sunday afternoon continued into the early hours of Monday.
"At least four militants and two locals were also killed in an exchange of fire between a tribal lashkar (army) and rebels Sunday in Bajaur," the official said.
The tribal army was formed last week to take action against militants hiding in the area, whom local tribesmen say are undermining their power structure. There was no way to independently verify the toll.
The Pakistani military says more than 1,000 rebel fighters have been killed since it launched its offensive in Bajaur, including Al-Qaeda's operational commander in the region, Egyptian Abu Saeed Al-Masri.
Pakistan's tribal regions have been wracked by violence since thousands of Taliban and Al-Qaeda rebels fled to the country after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001.