35 Pakistani Taliban killed in US air strikes in Afghanistan

The reports said that a group of 100 Pakistani Taliban militants fired missiles and rockets at a convoy of foreign forces in Paktiya on Friday.

US ground forces sought air cover and NATO fighter jets targeted the Pakistani militants, killing 35 of them.

Over a dozen rebels were injured. They were brought to hospitals in North Waziristan Agency, the reports said.

Those who were killed included militants from Pakistani Taliban groups led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir.

Punjabi Taliban militants too were among the dead and injured, residents of Waziristan said.

The Taliban factions led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir have struck peace deals with the Pakistan government but they are accused by the US of sending fighters across the border into Afghanistan.

US drones routinely target militants of both groups in Waziristan.
Pakistani militants are now trying to transfer the bodies to Waziristan, sources said.
But local residents said most of those killed were local tribesmen and people were visiting their relatives to offer condolences.

Besides NATO and the US, Afghan authorities too say that Pakistani Taliban enter Afghanistan to carry out attacks on foreign and Afghan forces.

On the other hand, Pakistan says that armed militants launch attacks on its border posts and villages from Afghan soil.

These cross-border raids have become a source of tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent weeks.