Jet fighters and helicopter gunships pounded what the Pakistani military called a terrorist training camp near the Afghan border Thursday, killing at least 50 militants, mostly foreign, local witnesses said. 

The members of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban militia and allied Islamic militants were attacked near the village of Laggimanzai, 25 kilometers northeast of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, 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 around 50 kilometers from the Afghan border.

"There was a gathering of 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."

Residents and local media estimated around 50 people had died.

The army said it had knocked out a training camp used by foreign terrorists in a "precise strike," saying later the operation lasted 2 hours.

Military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan said he was confident all terrorists present at the camp had been killed, but gave no figures.

"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," it added.

Islamic militants are incensed at Pakistan's decision to back the US-led war on terror, and have been blamed for two attempts to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf in December and a July suicide bomb attack on Shaukat Aziz, who is now prime minister.

The region of South Waziristan, 400 kilometers southwest of the capital Islamabad, has been the scene of major military operations in recent months.

Officials have said hundreds of al-Qaeda-linked foreign militants, including Arabs, Chechens and Uzbeks, and their tribal allies, are hiding there and have used the remote region to train fighters and coordinate attacks on targets inside Pakistan.

Some al-Qaeda-linked suspects arrested in a recent Pakistani swoop against the international terror network have visited tribal regions in recent months.

(China Daily September 10, 2004)