Official says Pakistani security forces kill 54 alleged militants in northwest tribal region

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Source: Associated Press

KHAR, Pakistan — Pakistani security forces backed by helicopter gunships and jets killed 54 alleged militants in a region near the Afghan border where the military has repeatedly tried to flush out the Taliban, a government official said Friday. Three troops also died in the clashes.

The fighting in the Mohmand tribal region on Thursday underscored the difficulty Pakistan has keeping territories clear of militants after initial operations, an area the United States has pointed to as a weakness in its counter-insurgency efforts.

Pakistani troops were doing routine patrolling in the Paizai area of Mohmand when they came under attack, said Maqsood Hasan, a deputy administrator in the region. The troops returned fire and killed 10 insurgents, but also called for backup in the air, Hasan said.

The army sent helicopters and jets to target militant positions, killing 44 more insurgents and wounding several others, Hasan said. He noted that two or three civilians died when a mortar shell hit a home in the region, but he would not speculate which side fired the shell.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/official_says_pakistani_security_forces_kill_54_alleged_militants_in_northwest_tribal_region/2011/04/07/AFCMKttC_story.html