Troops backed by tanks and gunships cleared militant hideouts near the Afghan border, sparking gunbattles that left eight troops and 40 militants dead, the army said Thursday.
Thirty militants were also arrested in the clashes over the last 24 hours in the South Waziristan tribal district, the hideout of an insurgent commander accused of masterminding the killing of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
Forces launched a major operation against militants positions following days of fighting in the barren, lawless region, which the United States has identified as a key lair of al Qaeda and Taliban militants. "Reportedly, 40 miscreants have been killed in the last 24 hours and 30 miscreants have been apprehended, many of them injured," an army statement said.
It added that eight soldiers "embraced martyrdom" while 32 others were injured in the clashes, the heaviest single-day toll in several weeks of fighting since Bhutto's assassination almost one month ago. Soldiers have cleared militants from three strongholds in Spinkai Raghazai, Nawazkot and surrounding areas of Tiarza village in the tribal area, the military said in the statement.
Tanks had moved into position to protect the movement of military convoys, the statement added. Security officials said helicopter gunships were also pounding insurgent positions. Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the clashes occurred in areas mainly controlled by the fiercely independent Mehsud tribe.
Abbas said he was not aware of the whereabouts of rebel commander Baitullah Mehsud. "It is not known whether he was taking part in the fighting or present in those areas," Abbas told AFP. "We have recovered a few bodies and there will be investigations about their origin," Abbas added, saying it was not clear if any of the bodies were those of foreign fighters.
The latest casualty figures could not be independently verified as the rugged area where fighting is occurring is out of bounds for journalists. But hundreds of families had fled the area and there was a severe shortage of food and other essential supplies, residents told AFP by telephone.
Mehsud tribesmen have refused to seek shelter in a refugee camp set up by authorities in the nearby town of Jandola and had asked family in other districts to accommodate them, local tribesman Alam Khan said.
"The Mehsuds are angry that the military is bombing innocent people and that is why they have refused to take any help," Khan said. The instability in the nuclear-armed nation ahead of crucial elections on February 18 has caused concern among Islamabad's international allies, especially in Washington.
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