BBC News Online: World: South Asia

Pakistani militants' bodies returned

Harkatul Mujahideen is active in Kashmir

Reports say the bodies of members of the Pakistan-based Harkatul Mujahideen group were allowed across the border at the Mohmand checkpoint, some 65 km from the city of Peshawar.

Pakistani border guards had earlier refused to allow the bodies into the country.

A least 22 militants were killed when a bomb hit a house in Kabul during the latest US air strikes.

Harkatul Mujahideen sources in Islamabad said they were in Kabul in a personal capacity to "devise a plan for fighting against America".

The group was recently included by the United States in the list of entities that it says were involved in acts of terrorism. The group, however, denies any involvement in such acts.

The deaths of the militants is the first time a large number of pro-Taleban militants have been killed since the start of the US-led military strikes in Afghanistan.

They were believed to be attending a meeting inside a house in Kabul's Darul Amman area.

Bin Laden links

Reports say that 19 people were killed on the spot and three of the injured later died at the hospital.

It is not clear how many others were wounded.

Among those killed was a prominent Pakistani militant leader, Ustad Farooq.

His brother told the Associated Press that his body would be brought back to Karachi on Wednesday afternoon.

Harkatul Mujahideen has remained active in armed militancy in Indian-administered Kashmir for the last several years.

It has also been associated with the Taleban regime in Afghanistan and is believed to have close links with Osama Bin Laden.