'Seven Pakistani soldiers, 80 militants die in clashes'

Seven soldiers and 80 terrorists have been killed during an ongoing operation in Pakistan against militants, a military spokesperson said.

The army backed by fighter jets and gunships have in recent days stepped up operation 'Zarb-e-Azb' as the militants are using some rugged mountainous areas in Khyber agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas for training of suicide bombers, Xinhua reported.

The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban and "Lashkar-e-Islam" groups operate in the agency, which borders Afghanistan. The two groups have now merged after coming under mounting pressure from the army.

Army spokesperson Major General Asim Bajwa, in a series of tweets on Saturday, said the terrorists were dislodged from bases in the rugged mountainous area of this agency.

"So far, 80 terrorists were killed and about 100 injured," he said.

"Seven soldiers embraced Shahadat (martyrdom) valiantly," he said, adding that the operation will continue with full force till total elimination of terrorists from these areas.

The spokesperson said the operation is making steady progress and has inflicted heavy losses upon terrorists. The operation will continue to clear areas closer to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

"The terrorists are now fleeing to the border," Bajwa said.

On 15 June, last year -- shortly after a brazen insurgent attack on the country's busiest airport in Karachi -- the Pakistani Army launched a comprehensive operation, titled Zarb-e-Azb, against foreign and local terrorists hiding in sanctuaries in North Waziristan tribal region.