Pak jets pound Taliban den; 37 killed

Pakistan fighter jets yesterday attacked Taliban hideouts in the lawless northwestern tribal belt and killed at least 37 suspected militants, officials said.
It was the first time the military is known to have used air strikes on militants since the Pakistani Taliban announced a ceasefire on March 1 to help peace talks.
The Taliban said last week it was ending the ceasefire, complaining of little progress in negotiations with the government. A series of militant attacks since then have killed seven people in the northwest.
The airstrikes were staged in mountainous areas of the Khyber tribal district, where the Taliban and the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) are active. LeI is feared for kidnappings and extortion in Khyber, one of seven lawless tribal districts along the Afghan border.
Officials said ground troops also used heavy weapons to pound militant targets.