Pakistani warplanes pound militant hideouts, killing 10 militants

    The fighter jets bombarded targets in the Mamuzai, Nindar Mela, and Barmela areas of the Orakzai tribal region on Sunday. Three hideouts were destroyed during the assaults.

Pakistani security forces imposed an hours-long curfew in the region following the airstrikes.

Meanwhile, at least three Pakistani soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb attack in the country’s northwestern tribal region of Waziristan near the Afghan border.

The remotely-controlled bomb went off when a military convoy was moving from the Mirali town to Miranshah, the main town of the North Waziristan tribal district, causing the fatalities and wounding three others.

The critically-injured were shifted to a local hospital after the blast. Two vehicles from the convoy were also badly damaged in the incident.

The North Waziristan region near the common border is known as a militant stronghold.

Over 35,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001 when Pakistan joined an alliance with the United States in Washington’s so-called war against terrorism, according to local media.

Since late 2009, there has been a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan and thousands more have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping the country.