At least 12 Al-Qaeda linked militants, two of them foreigners, were killed when Pakistani helicopter gunships shelled rebel hideouts in a tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said. The casualties occurred on Wednesday in the Bajaur region, where Pakistani troops launched a major offensive against Islamic militants in August. "Helicopter gunships pounded positions of militants in Badan area, killing 12 rebels including two foreigners," local administration official Mohammad Jamil Khan told a foreign news agency. He did not disclose nationality of the two foreigners. Foreigner is a term used by Pakistan authorities for Al-Qaeda militants.