Wednesday, March 1 2006 12:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Days ahead of US President George W Bush's visit here, Pakistan security forces today(Mar 1,2006) claimed to have killed or wounded 25 suspected AlQaeda militants in a raid on a militant training camp near the Afghan border.

Pakistan's security officials said troops backed by three helicopter gunships attacked a suspected militant camp in the North Waziristan region, where several hundred foreign militants owing allegiance to AlQaeda are holed up after US and allied troops captured Afghanistan from Taliban in 2002.

Pakistan government administrator of Waziristan region Sayed Zaheerul Islam told the media that troops attacked a training camp of 'foreign miscreants,' near Saidgai, about 15 km north of Miranshah, the region's main town.

Islam said the militants set the training camp was run with tents set up in mountains in the area.

"After the aerial attacks by the troops an arms dump at the scene exploded," he said.

In Islamabad, Pakistan Defence spokesman, Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan said the raid was launched on the basis of 'confirmed intelligence' that militants were present in the area.

The attack on the training camps came as President Bush was expected to arrive here later this week to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf on a host of issues which included Pakistan's cooperation on war on terror, especially against AlQaeda and Taliban militants.

Few weeks ago, US spy planes had fired missiles at a village in Bajore tribal agency on a reported tip off that AlQaeda second in command AlZwahari was due to attend a party to celebrate Eid festival.