55 militants killed in air strikes, gun battle in Pakistan

Islamabad, Dec 27:  At least 55 militants were killed in air strikes and a gun battle with ground forces in Pakistan’s northwest where the army launched a major offensive this year, officials said.

The army intensified its offensive after the massacre of 150 people in Army Public School in Peshawar this month, a carnage which the country describes as its own “mini 9/11″ and a game-changer in the fight against extremism, the Express Tribune reported.

Troops raided a militant hideout on Friday in an area adjoining Orakzai and Khyber tribal districts – near the Afghan border – where the insurgents had gathered for a meeting, according to a statement of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).