Eighty suspected militants were killed when Pakistani helicopters destroyed a training camp in a tribal area bordering Afghanistan on Monday.

A wanted local insurgent commander was among the dead in the pre-dawn air raid targeting an Islamic school near Khar, the main town in restive Bajaur tribal agency, a security official said on condition of anonymity.

"Maulvi Liaqat is also among the dead," the official said, referring to a commander.

Security forces attacked the madrassa located north of Khar, the headquarters of Bajur tribal agency, at 5 am.

"The attack was launched after confirmed information was received that the inmates were involved in terrorist training," army spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said adding that the seminary was being observed for few days.

"Gunship helicopters were used and most of the targets were eliminated," he was quoted as saying.

It is the second major attack on Bajur in less than a year.

Locals said a local leader of a banned group Tanzeem Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi owned the targeted madrassa.

In January, the US launched a missile strike on a village in the Bajur area in an effort to kill Al Qaeda's [Images] deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The strike killed 18 people, but Pakistani officials said that al-Zawahiri was not among the dead.

With PTI Inputs