ISLAMABAD, January 18 (RIA Novosti) - Around 90 militants were killed by the Pakistani army on the Afghan border on Friday, an army spokesman said.

The clashes, in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan, came amid a spate of violence along the Afghan border following Taliban assaults on two army outposts earlier this week. The attacks were a serious blow to security forces' efforts to clear the region of militants.

Gen. Athar Abbas said 20-30 militants had been killed near the village of Chaghmalai after attacking an army convoy. Around 60 militants are said to have also been shot dead in another shootout after an assault on a security forces' fort in the town of Ladha.

North and South Waziristan, which both border Afghanistan, are virtual no-go areas for government forces. The mountainous region is the stronghold of the fiercely independent Pashtun tribes, and is believed to be a safe haven for hundreds of Taliban fighters from Afghanistan blamed for recent intensified terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.