30 Militants Held, Hideouts Destroyed In Pakistan

Pakistani security forces have intensified their raids on militant hideouts in the north-western tribal region along the Afghan border.

Two militant camps were destroyed and 30 suspects arrested during an operation on Thursday, The Pakistani Army said.

The Frontier Corps stormed six houses in a village in the Khyber tribal region's Bara tehsil, where militants were hiding.

Three Pakistani soldiers patrolling the tribal Khyber region on a military vehicle fell victims to roadside bombs planted by insurgents on Wednesday. The incident prompted authorities to clamp down a curfew in Bara tehsil.

Reports quoting the Army said the five-day-old operation focusing Peshawar had killed around 50 militants and destroyed several hideouts used by them to evade the raid.

This is in addition to frequent U.S. aerial strikes in the region, a stronghold of militants having ties with Taliban and al-Qaeda.

U.S. authorities have stepped up drone strikes in the North Waziristan district, which is used by insurgents to launch cross-border attacks on NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces in Afghanistan.