18 militants killed in Pakistani army air raids

At least 18 militants have been killed in Pakistani army’s airstrikes in a restive tribal district near the border with Afghanistan.
The Pakistani military said in a Sunday statement that the air raids took place on Saturday night in the country’s northwestern Khyber tribal area, where the pro-Taliban and other militants have been holed up.
A huge cache of weapons and ammunition was also demolished throughout the army attacks, according to the statement.
The volatile tribal region on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been one of the main safe havens for pro-Taliban militants.
Pakistani military units have already conducted operations to eliminate terrorists in the strategic region, but the spillover of militancy from neighboring Afghanistan has so far hampered the efforts.
Militant groups in Pakistan have carried out numerous attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Many Pakistanis have lost their lives in such assaults since 2001, when the Pakistani government entered an alliance with Washington in its so-called war on terror.
The Pakistani army says it has killed more than 1,000 militants since June, when it started its clean-up operations along its border with Afghanistan. Nearly 90 Pakistani soldiers have been also killed during the operations.