40 militants killed in NWA, Khyber air strikes

MIRANSHAH/BARA: Security forces on Wednesday claimed killing 40 militants in air strikes in the North Waziristan and Khyber agencies.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that jet fighters of the Pakistan Air Force pounded the hideouts of militants in the Shawal area of North Waziristan near the Afghan border.
The statement said that several suspected hideouts of militants were also destroyed in the air strikes. Security forces started a ground offensive against the militants in Shawal two weeks ago and reportedly cleared some of the places.
Security forces launched the military operation Zarb-e-Azb against the local and foreign militants in North Waziristan on June 15, 2014.
Since then the journalists have no access to the tribal region.
The Pakistan Air Force jet fighters also carried out air strikes in the Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency, official and tribal sources said.
The ISPR said in a statement that the jet fighters pounded the hideouts of militants aligned with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam-led by Mangal Bagh in Rajgal and Gharibi areas of Tirah.
Several suspected hideouts of the militants were also destroyed in the air strikes.