ISLAMABAD: At least 14 militants were killed on Saturday in air strikes in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border, the military said.

The strikes targeted militant hideouts in Shawal area of the lawless North Waziristan tribal region, where the army has been waging an offensive against the Taliban since June last year.

“In precise air strikes in Shawal, 14 terrorists were killed,” the military said in a statement. The death toll could not be independently verified as the conflict zone is remote and off-limits to journalists.

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency for over a decade. Officials say more than 2,800 militants have been killed since the launch of the latest offensive. \