Fighter jets kill 15 suspected militants in northwestern Pakistan, says official

Pakistan: Fighter jets kill 15 suspected militants

PARACHINAR, Pakistan — A government official says fighter jets have pounded militant hide-outs in northwestern Pakistan, killing 15 suspected insurgents.

Samiullah Khan, a senior government administrator, says the jets attacked three different areas in the Orakzai tribal region Sunday morning.

Pakistani forces launched an operation in Orakzai in mid-March to flush out militants who last year fled an army offensive in the nearby tribal area of South Waziristan.

Independent confirmation of casualties in Orakzai and the identities of those killed is virtually impossible because the region is remote and dangerous and media access there is restricted.