Nine militants were killed and several others injured with gunship helicopters pounded their hideouts in Tal Tehsil in Hangu on Saturday morning.
According to sources, four gunship helicopters shelled suspected militants’ positions in Tora Wari and Dar Samand areas of Tal, following which nine militants were killed whereas three hideouts were destroyed.
Sources added that gunship helicopters continued to hover after the shelling whereas panic spread in the area.
Hangu borders the northwestern tribal region of Orakzai, one of Pakistan’s seven lawless districts on the Afghan border considered to be the hub of Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants.
Earlier this week, at least 35 militants were killed as fighter jets targeted suspected insurgent hideouts in three different tehsils of the North Waziristan tribal region.
A source in his office had said that the air strikes were authorised by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.