At least nine militants were killed when Pakistani army launched air strikes in the country's northwest tribal area of Khyber Agency, local media reported.

Dawn News said that the troops backed by jet fighters pounded two militants' hideouts in Tirah Valley area of Khyber Agency, a semi-autonomous tribal region along Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Identities of the killed militants have not been revealed yet.

Forces have been conducting aerial and ground operations in the Tirah valley region of the Agency since Aug. 16 to reinforce troops' deployment and effectively check and guard against terrorists movement along high mountains and all weather passes in Khyber Agency.

Prior to that there was no check on the movement of the militants as Rajgal valley was out of the control of the forces and the militants used to move freely in the area.

The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of Pakistani army, said that security forces have occupied passes and are now consolidating their positions up in high mountainous areas.

Source : XINHUA