Pakistan carries out deadly air strikes against militant groups

More than 30 suspected militants were killed in military air strikes in the North Waziristan tribal area on Friday, security sources said.

However, civil officers in the political administration said 38 militants were killed in the strike that targeted hideouts in Meezar and Sherani areas just on the Afghanistan border.

The term "foreign militants" is frequently used by Pakistani officials to refers to Uzbeks and Chechens who are often aligned with the Haqqani network, which is accused of sending fighters and suicide bombers to target United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation troops in neighbouring Afghanistan.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws which is situated along the Pak-Afghan border.

Military operations Zarb-e-Azb and the National Action Plan were launched against insurgents in the aftermath of terrorists' attack on Peshawar's Army Public School in 2014.

The conflict zone is off-limits to journalists, making it hard to independently verify the number and identity of those killed.