ISLAMABAD, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 militants were killed when Pakistani military launched an armed offensive in the country's northwest tribal area of Khyber Agency on Tuesday, local media and officials said.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the mouthpiece of Pakistani army, said in a statement that the military has launched the operation in Rajgal area of Khyber Agency, along Pakistan-Afghanistan border, to reinforce troop deployment for effectively checking and guarding against movement across the porous border of the Agency.
Director General ISPR, Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa, said in a tweet on Tuesday night that the army has destroyed nine militants'hideouts in ground and aerial strikes in the high mountains of Rajgal area.
"Large dumps/terrorist dens hit precisely. Treacherous terrain. Resolute action will reduce cross border move of terrorists," Bajwa tweeted.
Local Urdu TV channel Dawn News reported that 15 militants were also killed in the operation, however, their identities were not revealed.
Tuesday's operation is the continuation of the security measures being taken by the Pakistani government, after a deadly blast at a hospital in the country's southwest Balochistan province left 74 killed and over 100 injured.
Following the attack, army chief General Raheel Sharif ordered a combing operation in the country to bust terrorist sleeper cells and eliminate the militants who fled to various areas of the country in the wake of armed offensive Zarb-e-Azb in the tribal areas.
The combing operation has so far claimed the lives of four militants while scores of others were arrested from all the four provinces of the country.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, police in the capital city Peshawar of the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, arrested a suicide bomber carrying an estimated 2 kg of explosives in his explosive jacket during a combing operation.
The army chief also signed death sentences of 11 hardcore militants on Tuesday morning.
The condemned terrorists were tried by military courts for heinous offences related to terrorism including killing of senior police and army officers, sectarian killings and kidnapping and killing of civilians.
