Islamabad: Thirty-three militants, including at least a dozen suicide bombers, were killed by security forces and a tribal militia in Pakistan's restive tribal belt today.

The aviation wing of the paramilitary Frontier Corps killed 27 militants, including two important rebel commanders, in an operation in Aurakzai Agency.

A statement issued by the Frontier Corps quoted sources on the ground as confirming that 12 of those killed were suicide bombers.

The house of Taliban commander Mir Salam was destroyed during shelling by gunship helicopters in Aurakzai Agency. Officials said several militant hideouts were destroyed in the attacks.

The operation in the Aurakzai Agency came two days after a suicide car bomb attack on anti-Taliban jirga killed up to 80 tribesmen and injured more than 130. A suicide attacker drove a truck packed with about 300 kg of explosives into the tribal council that was discussing measures to evict the Taliban from the region.

Aurakzai is a mountainous area in the restive tribal regions of Pakistan that does not share a border with Afghanistan.

Across the tribal belt, the government has tried to enlist the independent ethnic Pashtun tribesmen to back its military operations against Al-Qaeda and Taliban extremists based near the Afghan frontier.

Source : PTI