Pakistani army airstrikes kill 34 militants in tribal region

Islamabad — The Pakistani army claims that it launched air strikes in a tribal region along the Afghan border, pounding militant hideouts and killing 34 terrorists. [caption id=“attachment_2087835” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] An army statement says the airstrikes Wednesday hit several areas in remote Tirah Valley of the Khyber tribal region. The valley is home to militants from the Pakistani Taliban and an allied group called Lashkar-e-Islam. The Taliban and its allies have been waging an insurgency for over a decade, seeking to overthrow the government and install their own brand of fundamentalist Islamic rule. The attacks have killed tens of thousands of Pakistanis, including 17 killed Sunday in a pair of suicide attacks on churches. The airstrikes are part of the military’s stepped-up efforts since a militant attack in December killed 150 people, mostly children at a school. AP