File Photo
Suspected militants killed during bombardment of terrorist hideouts.
Pakistan’s military said on Thursday it killed 23 militants in aerial strikes across North Waziristan.
In a statement issued to the media, the military said: “Today in precise aerial strikes carried out on terrorists hideouts in Zerom, Ismail Khel, and Datta Khel in North Waziristan, 23 terrorists were killed.”
In June, the Army began major offensives in North Waziristan aimed at clearing the area of insurgent groups, including the Taliban, after a bloody raid on Karachi Airport ended faltering peace talks. Residents have said many civilians have died in airstrikes, but as the conflict zone is off-limits to journalists, there is no way to independently verify the number and identity of those killed.
North Waziristan has become a major base for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which rose up against the state in 2007. The United States has long called for action in the area because the militant groups have targeted NATO forces in neighboring Afghanistan.
The Pakistan Army says it has killed more than 1,000 militants and lost 86 soldiers since the start of the operation.