Context
Pakistani air force targeted Taliban hideouts in Orakzai tribal area on Tuesday, killing 16 militants, according to a senior government official. Orakzai is one of the northwestern tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan where Pakistani military has attempted to root out insurgents with operations in their strongholds. The strike comes one day after reports in the local media suggested that Pakistan would conduct a military operation in North Waziristan, a border area said to be a sanctuary for Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants. Six militants were also injured in Tuesday’s assault.
