Pakistani jets destroy terrorist hideouts, kill five militants

At least five suspected militants were killed on Saturday as military jets destroyed a number of terrorist hideouts in Pakistan's tribal region.

The military jets targeted militant hideouts in Khyber agency, killing five suspected militants and injuring three others, Dawn reported.

The identity of the dead militants and their affiliation with any outlawed organisation was yet to be ascertained.

Tirah Valley lies astride the Pakistan-Afghan border between the famous Tora Bora mountains and the plains of Bara which connects with the provincial capital, thus giving it a unique strategic position.

Military operation Zarb-i-Azb and the National Action Plan were launched against insurgents following attacks on Karachi's Jinnah International Airport and Peshawar's Army Public School in 2014.

Since the beginning of Zarb-i-Azb, militants have fled to other tribal regions, including Khyber and its Tirah Valley and Shawal, all of which border Afghanistan.

The number of attacks in Pakistan has fallen by around 70 per cent this year, due to a combination of a military offensive against Taliban bases along the Afghan border and government initiatives to tackle militancy.