Clashes kill 28 militants, 2 policemen in Pakistan (1st Lead)

Jul 2, 2009, 6:20 GMT

   Islamabad - A roadside blast in Pakistan's restive city of Peshawar left two police officers dead on Thursday, hours after attack helicopters killed at least 28 Islamist insurgents in the adjoining lawless region on the Afghan border, officials said.

   The remote-controlled bomb struck a police patrol unit on the outskirts of Peshawar at around 6:45 am (0045 GMT) when officers were responding to an emergency call.

   'The driver of the patrol car died on the spot while two constables and two passers-by were wounded,' local police officer Riazul Islam said. The injured were taken to a hospital, where one officer died.

    There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but officials suspected it might have been carried out by insurgents based in the nearby tribal region, a known hotbed of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.

    The bombing followed overnight attacks by helicopter gunships on the hideouts of Islamist militants in the Khyber tribal district, which borders Peshawar.

   The aerial raids were preceded by the killing of a pro-government tribal elder, Malik Guli Shah, and his two guards by gunmen in Khyber.

   'Our three helicopters engaged several positions of Lashkar-e-Islam in the Sandapal and Akakhel areas of Tirah Valley (Khyber district) late Wednesday,' said Wajid Ali, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps.

   'According to our information, 28 terrorists including an important commander died and around a dozen more were injured. Five vehicles used by the insurgents were also destroyed,' he added.

   Lashkar-e-Islam is a Taliban group led by the warlord Mangal Bagh, who is also believed to be behind attacks on the NATO supply route running through the mountainous district and strikes on Pakistani security personnel in the area.

   Violence in Pakistan's tribal region has surged in recent weeks as the military announced that it was close to wrapping up its offensive in the Swat valley and would then be pursuing the Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud in the troubled South Waziristan district.

   Militants fleeing the Swat operation have been moving into the tribal region, sparking clashes with local tribesmen, who have raised private militias, or Lashkars, to prevent the infiltration.

   Shiite Muslims in the Kurram tribal district have been battling the retreating militants, who are believed to be supported by the local Sunni clans, for more than two weeks.

   The rival Shiite and Sunni groups, however, announced a ceasefire on Wednesday, after 32 people were killed in a day's fighting. The clashes have so far left more than 150 people dead and over 200 others wounded.

   Government forces are being deployed in the semi-autonomous area after the truce.