Military officials in Pakistan say at least 20 militants were killed Friday in airstrikes against suspected insurgent hideouts in a northwestern border region.
A brief statement says fighter plans targeted remote areas in the Khyber tribal agency near the Afghan border, adding "about 18 terrorists" were also wounded.
The historic Khyber pass serves as one of only two trade and transit routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Counter-militancy operation
The Pakistani military has recently undertaken a formal offensive to flush Pakistani Taliban and their allies from the region and officials claim most of the area has been cleared.
The counter-militancy operation is an extension of the Zarb-e-Azb army offensive that has been going on in the nearby North Waziristan tribal district since June of 2014. The army says the offensive has so far left up to 2,800 militants and 350 soldiers dead.
