At least 50 Islamic militants, most of them foreigners, were killed by Pakistani forces on Thursday in the South Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border, a military spokesman said.‘‘We have learned that 50 people are dead, mostly foreigners. A probe is on, and there is a possibility that number of casualties may rise,’’ a military spokesman said.Pakistani jets and gunship helicopters attacked what the military has called a ‘‘foreign terrorist training camp’’. Around 40 members of the ousted Taliban militia and allied Islamic militants were attacked near the village of Laggimanzai, 25 km northeast of Wana, said villager Ajab Nur.He said many civilians had also been killed in a subsequent air strike when they gathered to survey the damage in the village. ‘‘There was a gathering of about 40 or so militants early this morning,’’ said Nur. ‘‘Two bombs fell on them. Then villagers went to see what had happened.and there was a second attack and many people were killed.’’The Army said it had knocked out a training camp used by foreign terrorists in a ‘‘precise strike’’, saying later that the operation lasted two hours.Military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan told state television he was confident all terrorists present at the camp had been killed.‘‘There were confirmed reports of training activity being conducted by foreign elements including Uzbeks, Chechens and a few Arabs,’’ said a military statement.‘‘These trained terrorists were then indulging in sabotage and terrorist acts in the country, as was revealed through investigations into the recent terrorist acts,’’ the statement added.
