A Pakistan army spokesperson says a Swiss couple, who was kidnapped by the Taliban last July, have escaped from their captors and are well.

At least 30 militants were killed in less than 12 hours in a hail of missile strikes by suspected US drone aircraft in Pakistan’s north-west region.

US drone planes fired missiles at a compound in Pakistan’s north-west region, killing a dozen insurgents on Wednesday.

Pakistani villagers collected the corpses and body parts on Saturday of at least 20 people, including several suspected Arab militants.