Pakistani army units launched a major raid in a remote border area long suspected of harboring Al Qaeda fighters Thursday, killing eight suspected Islamic militants and arresting 18 others. The raid marked the first time the Pakistani army has conducted a major anti-terrorism operation in the lawless tribal regions that border Afghanistan, where Taliban and Al Qaeda militants, possibly including Osama bin Laden, have long been suspected of hiding. U.S. officials have pressured Pakistan to launch a crackdown on the border region, which the commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan said Thursday has served as a “sanctuary” for militants waging guerrilla war in Afghanistan. Pakistani soldiers, supported by helicopters, fought a 12-hour gun battle in the rugged mountains near the border, targeting six mud compounds that were occupied by “foreign elements,” said Shaukat Sultan, a Pakistani military spokesman. Full Story
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