The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Khar

Pakistani troops killed at least 10 Al-Qaeda-linked militants in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, days after a massive attack on an Islamabad hotel, officials said Tuesday.

The insurgents were killed in the Bajaur area as part of a huge military operation launched last month, which analysts say likely sparked Saturday's bombing of the Marriott hotel in which at least 60 people died.

Soldiers killed six militants late Monday in a mortar attack on a suspicious vehicle in the town of Loisam, a security official said. The extremists inside the vehicle were planning an attack on a security post in the area, the official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP.