13 Oct 2008

Pakistan gunship raid kills 35

8:29 am on 13 October 2008

Pakistani helicopter gunships have bombed a meeting of Islamic fighters linked to al-Qaeda near the border with Afghanistan.

Security officials said 35 were dead.

The attack on Sunday in the north-western district of Orakzai came two days after a suicide bomber killed at least 40 anti-Taliban tribesmen at a tribal gathering in the same district.

Orakzai has previously been relatively unaffected by Pakistan's battle with Islamic fighters.