16 dead as Pak jets target Taliban

The Pakistani military attacked Taliban hideouts in the lawless tribal northwest with fighter jets and ground forces on Thursday and killed at least 16 suspected militants, officials said. It was the first time the military is known to have used air strikes against militants since the Pakistani Taliban announced a ceasefire on March 1 to help peace talks. The Taliban said last week it was ending the ceasefire, complaining of little progress in negotiations with the government. A series of militant attacks since then have killed seven people in the northwest, according to AFP.