Pakistani fighter jets carried out air strikes early Sunday on suspected insurgent hideouts killing 18 suspected militants and injuring many others in Tirah valley area of Pakistan’s restive Khyber tribal region, Dawn News reported.
According to security officials, during the air raid, fighter jets targeted various hideouts in Tirah valley of the Khyber Agency which reportedly destroyed an improvised explosives device (IEDs) making factory and a huge cache of arms, ammunitions and explosive materials.
The raids came several days later and at least nine suspected militants were killed when gunship helicopters pounded insurgent hideouts in Thall village in Hangu district.
On February 20, after consultations with the top military leadership of Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave permission for the airstrikes in North Waziristan and Khyber agencies.
Khyber is part of Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt on the Afghan border. The Taliban and other al-Qaeda groups, who staged attacks in both countries, are known to have strongholds in the zone.
