RAWALPINDI: At least 11 suspected militants were killed in military airstrikes on Sunday in the restive North Waziristan tribal region, a statement said.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), two militant hideouts were also destroyed. These claims, however, could not be independently verified as journalists have limited access to the tribal agency.

Earlier on August 30, at least 32 suspected militants had been killed and three militant hideouts were destroyed by army aviation’s gunship helicopters in a remote area of Bangidar in North Waziristan.

Khyber Agency aerial strikes kill 10

In separate airstrikes in the Khyber Agency's Kuki Khel area, at least 10 suspected militants were killed, an ISPR statement said.

Three militant hideouts were also destroyed, the statement added.

Military operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched by the Pakistan Army on June 15 following a brazen militant attack on Karachi's international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiators.

The Taliban and their ethnic Uzbek allies both claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi airport, which was seen as a strategic turning point in how Pakistan tackles the insurgency.

Nearly a million people have fled the offensive in North Waziristan, which is aimed at wiping out longstanding militant strongholds in the area, which borders Afghanistan.

North Waziristan 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