ighty suspected militants were killed when Pakistani helicopters destroyed a training camp in a tribal area bordering Afghanistan on Monday.
A local insurgent commander was among the dead in the raid that targeted an Islamic school in the restive Bajaur tribal region.
Security forces attacked the madrassa located north of Khar, the headquarters of Bajur tribal agency, at 5 am.
"The attack was launched after confirmed information was received that the inmates were involved in terrorist training," army spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said adding that the seminary was being observed for few days.
"Gunship helicopters were used and most of the targets were eliminated," he was quoted as saying.
It is the second major attack on Bajur in less than a year.
Locals said a local leader of a banned group Tanzeem Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi owned the targeted madrassa.
A few reports said US drones were the the first to fire missiles at the madrassa, adding that the Paksitani helicopter fire came at least 10 minutes after the missiles had flattened the region.
Officials denied these reports.
Image : Karachi, PAKISTAN: Activists of the hardline Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal raise slogans against the army operation.
Photographs: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images
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