60 Pak militants killed, hostage escapes

ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (AFP) - Airstrikes by Pakistani jets killed 60 pro-Taliban fighters in the restive northwest while a Chinese engineer seized seven weeks ago escaped from his kidnappers, security officials said Friday.

“Security forces destroyed a training camp and hideouts of militants in Peochar in Swat valley, killing 60 of them and injuring scores of others,” a senior security official told AFP. Another security official said fighter jets bombed a big training camp and cave hideouts of Taliban militants deep in the mountains, inflicting heavy casualties.