PESHAWAR: At least 30 suspected militants were killed in air strikes in North Waziristan on Tuesday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement that military planes bombed militants’ hideouts in the Dattakhel area, adjacent to Afghan border, killing 30 local and foreign militants.

The claim could not be verified from independent sources. People have left their homes in Dattakhel and a majority of them have fled to Afghanistan after the Zarb-i-Azb Operation was launched in June.

More than half a million people have been displaced because of the operation and the military has claimed that over 1,200 militants have been killed so far.

The operation was launched after a bloody raid on Karachi airport ended peace talks between the government and militants.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014