17 militants killed in army operation in NW Pakistan

At least 17 insurgents were killed as several others injured when army jets pounded suspected militants' hideouts in Pakistan's northwest tribal region of Kurram on Thursday, local media reported.

Quoting unidentified official sources, Dawn TV said that in a pre-dawn attack, the army jets attacked four militants' hideouts in Parachamkani, central subdivision of Kurram Agency, a militancy- hit region at Pakistan-Afghan border.

Identities of the killed and injured militants have not been determined yet.

Pakistan army declared the Parachamkani area, comprising 29 villages, as a conflict zone earlier this month when militants took hold of a large part of the area, and displaced nearly 12,000 families to the neighboring Kohat and Hangu districts.

The armed offensive against the militants that was launched on May 8 has killed over 100 insurgents so far and injured several others. In retaliatory attack, militants killed five soldiers and injured over 20 others.

Earlier on Tuesday, 14 militants were killed and three hideouts were destroyed when security forces advanced in the Zarah Mela area of Kurram Agency.