Security forces pounded militant hideouts in the Kurram and Orakzai districts on Thursday, killing at least 14 militants, officials said.Army helicopter gunships struck several positions held by Islamist militants in the Kurram and Orakzai districts, which are relatively peaceful compared to the remaining five tribal areas.
"Several houses used by the militants were destroyed in the aerial raids which killed at least 12 miscreants and wounded a dozen more," an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity. Government administrators in the semi-autonomous region confirmed the assaults, but said details about the casualties and damage were not immediately available.
The intelligence official said the hideouts were run by the warlord Hakimullah Mehsud, who is considered a possible successor to Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud. There are also contradictory reports about a power struggle among militant commanders after Mehsud death.