Troops backed by tanks and heavy artillery Wednesday killed at least 22 Taliban militants in a restive tribal area near the Afghan border, an official said. The troops confronted the militants across the Bajaur tribal district on Wednesday evening.
"Troops pounded artillery and used fighter jets to target militant hideouts killing 22 militants," a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity. He said that troops were continuing an advance in militant-infested areas to track down militants.
Pakistani forces have for weeks been targeting militant positions in Bajaur, a major operation that has seen more than 500 people killed and more than 260,000 displaced. On Tuesday, Pakistani troops killed at least seven militants in Bajaur.