Pakistani security forces have killed at least 60 Taliban militants in the Mohmand region near the Afghanistan border, the military says. The militants were killed when the security forces pounded their hideouts with heavy artillery on Tuesday, a Press TV correspondent in Pakistan reported.
Fighter jets bombed several suspected hideouts of the Taliban militants in the area of northwestern Pakistan, the military said.
Violence has intensified in the tribal areas since Pakistan deployed troops near its border with Afghanistan to fight against the militants.
Pakistan's tribal areas became the scene of pitched battles after former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf joined the Bush administration's 'war on terror'.
More, from Geo News
The Security Forces have killed 60 militants during the last 24 hours operation in Mohmand Agency. The FC press release issued here Tuesday night said that in the ongoing operation in Mohmand Agency, the Frontier Corps troops advanced and secured Road Darwazgai Lakaro-Mamad Gatt. In the process, militants strongholds of Habibzai and Mulakhel were destroyed. In this operation, sixty hardcore militants (22 yesterday and 38 today) have been killed in the last twenty-four hours.
Important militant commanders named Umar Khitab, Qari Mumtaz, Haroon Rashid, Bilal, Yaqub, Yar Said, Yusuf and Hamza were killed.
Also militant strongholds of Krair and Chingal were decisively engaged. It said that there are obvious signs of weakness and desperations in the rank and file of militants, both local and foreign, who were now on the run.