Soldiers patrol Tora Warai, a town in Kurram Agency, on the border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s army says its fighter jets have killed 20 militants in a troubled northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border.

An army statement says the 20 “terrorists” were killed Tuesday in precise air strikes in the North Waziristan tribal region, where the military has been carrying out a major operation since June.

It provided no details and the identity of the slain insurgents was not immediately known.

Pakistani ground forces and jets have killed more than 1,100 militants since June 15 when the military launched the operation in North Waziristan.

The operation is aimed at eliminating those Pakistani and foreign militants accused of launching attacks in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.

The military says it has cleared 90 percent of North Waziristan and that the militants are currently on the run.

 
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