At least 23 militants killed in Tirah air strikes

Official says air strikes targeted militant hideouts in Rajgal located on the Pak-Afghan border in Tirah Valley

PESHAWAR: At least 23 militants were killed and several others injured in air strikes in Khyber Agency's Tirah Valley, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) official said on Friday.

"The air strikes targeted militant hideouts in Rajgal on the Pak-Afghan border in Tirah Valley," the official added.

"Several militants were injured while their hideouts were also destroyed in the air strikes," the official further said.



Later in the evening, ISPR issued the following statement:

According to officials, the slain and injured militants belonged to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI).



Tirah Valley shares borders with Orakzai and Kurram agencies and the Afghan province of Nangarhar. Its strategic location offers safe transit to militants to and from Afghanistan. It had become a sanctuary for LeI and TTP militants before the military decided to move against them.

In October, the military mounted a big assault after intelligence reports indicated that militants fleeing Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency had found a sanctuary in Tirah. After weeks of ground operation and air strikes the militants were routed. However, sporadic intelligence-based air strikes continue against militants in the valley.