25 Taliban militants killed in Pakistan air strikes

    By IANS,

    Islamabad : Pakistani military aircraft bombed suspected Taliban hideouts and killed 25 terrorists in North Waziristan, a security official said Tuesday.

    Following a series of attacks on security forces, the military conducted aerial strikes Monday night and targeted the hideouts of militants in North Waziristan’s tribal region which borders Afghanistan, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted the official as saying.

    The official said the terrorists killed in the strikes were associated with recent bomb blasts at Peshawar Church, Qissa Khwani bazaar and Bannu.

    On Sunday, more than 20 security personnel were killed and 38 injured in an attack on an army convoy in the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

    The convoy of vehicles was carrying soldiers from Bannu district to Miranshah area in North Waziristan when it was targeted with a bomb near Razmak gate in the cantonment area.

    On Monday, a suicide bomber killed at least 13 people near Pakistan’s army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Among those who died were eight military personnel.

    The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both the attacks after weeks of relative calm since their leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, was killed in a US drone strike in November last year.

    The Pakistan Taliban said they would continue their attacks on security forces across the country.

    In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in the country, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has cancelled his visit to Switzerland.

    The prime minister was scheduled to leave for Davos, Switzerland, Jan 21 to represent Pakistan at the meeting of the World Economic Forum there.