Pakistani forces attack militants

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, July 5 (UPI) -- The Pakistani military killed 26 Taliban militants Saturday in the area where a military helicopter crashed the day before.

Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said suspected militant positions in Orakzai Agency were attacked because of the assaults Friday on rescuers and security forces coming to the crash site, The International News reported. The crash killed 26 people on board the helicopter.

The newspaper cited sources in the area who said six helicopter gunships attacked in the area Friday. The government resumed the attack Saturday morning with two airplanes and six gunships, concentrating on hills between Orakzai and Khyber.

In the Mohmand Agency, militants attacked a group of tribal volunteers or lashkar late Friday, The Dawn reported. Six lashkar and three militants were reported killed.

The volunteers made several arrests Saturday and tore down the houses of suspects.