PESHAWAR - The Pakistan Army said on Friday it had killed 22 militants in air strikes in Khyber tribal district.
"22 terrorists were killed today in Khyber agency (a tribal district) in precise aerial strikes," it said in a statement.
Besides, security sources said that as many as six hideouts of the terrorists were also wiped out in the air strikes in Tirah valley. The militants killed in the attacks belonged to banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Khyber Agency-based Lashkar-e-Islam group.
Meanwhile, a bomb planted on a motorbike killed two soldiers in the restive northwest on Friday, officials said, in an attack claimed by a breakaway faction of the Taliban. The incident happened in Mithra area on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
"A remote controlled bomb planted on a motorbike went off as an army vehicle passed by it, killing one soldier and wounding another who later succumbed to his injuries," a senior security official told AFP. A local police official also confirmed the incident and casualties.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Jamaatul Ahrar), which split from the main Pakistani Taliban in September, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a telephone call to AFP, Ehsan Ullah Ehsan, spokesman of the group said the attack was revenge of one of their members who was killed in an operation by the army.
"We will continue to target the Pakistani military in the future," Ehsan told AFP.
INP adds from Washington: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Friday met officials of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Washington to discuss the ongoing anti-terrorism efforts by both states.
A meeting was held between Army Chief and American intelligence department CIA in which matters of regional security and peace were taken under consideration. During the meeting, the Army chief vowed to provide full assistance of Pakistan Army in fighting terrorism.
Meanwhile, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa on Friday said that America has not urged to 'do more' and that American perception about Pakistan has now improved.
In an interview with a Pakistan TV channel in Washington, the DG ISPR said Pakistan has done quite a lot to combat terrorism already and would continue to do so for its own benefit, adding that they aspire to wipe out terrorist entities from the country forever.
Asim Bajwa declared operation Zarb-e-Azb is a success against militants.
He informed that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif in his meeting with several military and political leaders stressed upon bilateral cooperation and harmony between both countries in context of the regional circumstances. DG ISPR said issues pertaining to border site including Indian violation of Line of Control (LoC) also came under discussion.
American Army reserves a positive approach in regard to Afghanistan, he added. He further said COAS General Raheel visited America on the invitation of the American Army Chief and the visit helped their political leadership to understand Pakistan's stance more effectively.