PESHAWAR: At least 39 suspected militants were killed on Friday during airstrikes conducted by military fighter jets in the Dattakhel area of North Waziristan tribal Agency.
Official sources said that airstrikes targeted militant hideouts in Madakhel, Lataka and Basikel areas and destroyed at least six hideouts. A huge cache of arms and ammunition has also been destroyed.
The airstrikes targeted the hideouts of Uzbek militants and there are reports that two key commanders are among the dead.
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) has also confirmed the report.
"In very effective and precise aerial strikes north of Dattakhel in North Waziristan this evening, 39 terrorists including some important commanders were killed. A huge underground ammunition dump and tunnel system have been destroyed," the ISPR statement said.
North Waziristan is among Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous regions governed by tribal laws and lies near the Afghan border.
The area has been isolated by deploying troops along its border with neighboring agencies and Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (Fata) regions to block any move of terrorists in and out of the Agency.
The Taliban and other Al Qaeda-linked groups who stage attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan are known to have strongholds in the zone.
