ISLAMABAD: At least 10 suspected militants were killed during a search operation by security forces in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan tribal region, according to statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The statement said that the operation was conducted in Dattakhel area close to Pak-Afghan border in North Waziristan.

Read Zarb-e-Azb operation: 120 suspected militants killed in N Waziristan

The information could not be independently verified since access to journalists is severely restricted in the region.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws which is situated along the Pak-Afghan border and is rife with Taliban militant activity.

The Pakistan Army launched Zarb-i-Azb, a comprehensive operation in 2014, against foreign and local terrorists who were hiding in sanctuaries in the North Waziristan tribal region, a week after the brazen insurgent attack on the country's busiest airport in Karachi.