40 suspected al-Qaeda killed by Pakistani forces
Afp, Miranshah
Around 40 suspected Al-Qaeda militants, including a Chechen commander, were killed Wednesday when Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gunships struck their hideout near the Afghan border, officials said. One soldier was killed and 15 wounded in fierce fighting after the army surrounded the sprawling compound in Saidgai village in North Waziristan, a few km from the border, a security official said. "We have reports up to 40 militants, mainly foreigners, were killed in the raid on the compound where there was a big gathering of foreign militants," the official, who could not be identified, told AFP. A local official identified the Chechen as Imam and said he was killed when he tried to escape during the raid. He said 20 militants were also wounded in the operation which lasted for several hours. The security official said the military action prompted retaliatory attacks by heavily armed militants on security forces positions in Miranshah.
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