Pakistani forces 'have killed 1,000 rebels'
Pakistani troops have been supported by the US military since 2001
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Friday, 26, Sep 2008 07:08
The Pakistani military has claimed more than 1,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban rebels have been killed during a month-long offensive near the Afghan border.
Tariq Khan, the inspector-general of the paramilitary Frontier corps, said the operation in Bajaur - one of the seven lawless tribal regions on the border - had been a success.
He claimed five militant commanders were included in the 1,000-plus list of captured insurgents from the region, which borders the Afghan province of Kunar.
Journalists were taken by helicopter to see the now-derelict scenes where fighting had taken place in Bajaur, and told that Pakistan has lost a total of 27 soldiers because of the series of conflicts.
The announcement is being seen as something of a progress report from Islamabad, which has in the past been accused of lethargy by its allies in the war on terror - particularly the United States.
Pakistan joined the coalition almost seven years ago and has been at the front line of fighting between allies and insurgent forces on its border with Afghanistan since the American-led invasion in 2001.