PESHAWAR: Pakistani warplanes killed 10 militants and destroyed three hideouts in raids in the northwestern Orakzai tribal region, local government officials said.

There is no independent verification of the attacks and casualties, and militants often dispute official accounts.

Orakzai is one of the most lawless areas in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region, which is made up of seven districts near the Afghan border.

Pakistan launched a major operation in Orakzai in March last year after militants fled a sweeping offensive in the nearby tribal district of South Waziristan.

Late last year military officials said lower Orakzai had been cleared, but the militant threat persisted in some pockets of the upper part of the area.

Saturday's attack came as Pakistan is under renewed pressure from the United States to go after the Haqqani network, which it says operates from sanctuaries in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region on the Afghan border.