Security forces kill 25 suspected militants

Peshawar: Pakistani forces have killed 25 suspected militants in a two-week operation to secure the frontier city of Peshawar, which sits on a key supply route for US and Nato troops in Afghanistan, an official said on Monday.

Security forces backed by warplanes and artillery have swept through an area between the city and Pakistan's wild tribal belt, where Taliban and Al Qaida militants have found refuge.

Zafrullah Khan, commander of paramilitary Frontier Constabulary troops in the area, said his force and police have taken control of 22 of 25 targeted villages and would clear the others within a week.

"The militants in these areas have been a big threat to the writ of the government," Khan said. "They have been a main source and origin of the crimes in Peshawar and other cities of the province."