PESHAWAR: At least 48 suspected militants were killed, seven hideouts, nine vehicles and several motorcycles were destroyed in fresh air strikes carried out by fighter jets and Cobra gunship helicopters in the Khyber and North Waziristan tribal regions on Tuesday, sources in the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Fighter jets carried out raids in the Kokikhel area of Tirah Valley in Khyber and in the North Waziristan tribal area earlier during the day during which 18 suspected militants and seven suspected hideouts were destroyed.

Later, 30 more suspected militants were killed, nine vehicles and several motorcycles belonging to suspected militants were destroyed in fresh strikes carried out by Pakistan Army’s Cobra gunship helicopters in North Waziristan tribal region.

Reports said that in these strikes, most the militants killed were Uzbek terrorists. The strikes come as military operation Zarb-i-Azb is under way in the North Waziristan tribal region.  Nearly a million people have fled the offensive in North Waziristan, which is aimed at wiping out longstanding militant strongholds in the area, which borders Afghanistan.-DNA