PESHAWAR: At least 25 suspected terrorists were killed and several others were injured on Thursday when the military carried out air strikes in the Datakhel Tehsil of North Waziristan, said a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Sources said air force jets targeted terrorist hideouts in Alwara Mandi area of Datakhel, killing at least 25 militants and injuring several others.

A security official said at least five terrorist hideouts were destroyed in the aerial operation.

The conflict zone of North Waziristan is off-limits to journalists making it difficult to verify the army's claims, including the number and identity of those killed.

Earlier on Sept 13, at least 17 suspected militants were killed in military air strikes carried out in Shawal tehsil of North Waziristan, Dawn newspaper reported.

Pakistan Army launched Operation Zarb-i-Azb, a grand operation in the North Waziristan tribal region, following a Taliban attack on the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi in June 2014.

The army says it is conducting the final phase of Operation Zarb-i-Azb to flush out Taliban terrorists from their remaining strongholds along the border with Afghanistan.

A large number of militants fleeing the operation in other parts of North Waziristan are believed to have taken refuge in Shawal Valley, which is considered to be an Al Qaeda sanctuary and a stronghold of Gul Bahadur, a warlord once considered pro-government.