Pakistani troops kill 31 suspected militants in latest tribal region operation, official says

Official: Pakistan army kills 31 alleged militants

PARACHINAR, Pakistan — A local government official says Pakistani troops have killed 31 suspected militants in a northwest area near the Afghan border.

Jahanzeb Khan says a soldier also died in one of the several clashes throughout the Orakzai tribal region.

Pakistani stepped up army operations in Orakzai in mid-March to root out Taliban fighters fleeing an offensive farther south.

The government says the operation has killed hundreds of suspected militants, but that information is nearly impossible to verify independently because access to the area is restricted.

More than 200,000 people have fled Orakzai since the end of last year amid army airstrikes and the increased militant influx.