PAKISTAN'S ARMY CONTINUES ASSAULT ON JIHADISTS

AL JAZEERA/AFP: Pakistan army raid kills fighters

Pakistan army soldiers have battled pro-Taliban fighters in regions bordering Afghanistan

A helicopter raid by the Pakistani army has killed up to 25 fighters, a senior government official has said.

The fighters were killed on Saturday while attempting to damage the Kohat Tunnel, which links the towns of Kohat and Dara Adam Khel in the North West Frontier Province, the official said.

"Some 20-25 militants have been killed in the attack," Kamran Zeb, district co-ordination officer of the Kohat region, said.

Security forces also battled fighters in South Waziristan, known as a sanctuary for fighters loyal to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Evacuation

The helicopter raid came a day after Pakistani troops killed up to 30 tribal fighters during clashes in Dara Adam Khel.

Thousands of residents fled the town before the raid, seeking refuge in Peshawar, 40km away.

Pakistani troops launched a "search and cordon" operation in Dara Adam Khel to find four trucks containing munitions and supplies, the army said.

Helicopter gunships were used in the operation to recover the lorries, which had been seized by fighters On Thursday

Stronghold searched

Security officials said Dara Adam Khel had recently become a stronghold of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned Sunni Muslim group which has links to al-Qaeda.

Troops on Friday searched the South Waziristan region, around the hideout of Baitullah Mehsud, a Taliban commander, officials said.

Mehsud is accused by Pakistani officials and the US Central Intelligence Agency of orchestrating the killing of Benazir Bhutto, a former Pakistani prime minister, last month.

More than 200 fighters and 30 soldiers are said to have died during three weeks of fighting in South Waziristan.

MUSHARRAF IS A GOOD ALLY.