ISLAMABAD/BANNU: Pakistani airstrikes on Sunday killed 23 militants including foreigners in the country’s restive tribal region near the Afghan border, more than a month after security forces moved in on Pakistani Taliban strongholds in the area.

The strikes took place in areas close to the border with Afghanistan in Khyber and North Waziristan tribal districts.

“(A) huge ammunition dump was also blown up during the strikes in Khyber,” the military said in a statement, without giving the identity of those killed or who they fought for.

The deeply forested ravines are a key smuggling route between Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, and are dotted with Taliban bases used as launch pads for attacks on Pakistani forces.

Khyber is a known stronghold for militants belonging to the Pakistani Taliban and its Lashkar-e-Islam faction.

The area is remote and off-limits to journalists making it difficult to verify the army’s claims.

The military began an offensive in the area in October 2014 carrying out airstrikes and using artillery, mortars and ground troops.

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown insurgency for over a decade following the late 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, and in June last year launched major campaign against Taliban and other militant strongholds in the North Waziristan tribal area.

Authorities have vowed to intensify operations to take back territory both in the border regions and other parts of the country.

The military says it has killed more than 2,700 militants since the launch of the offensive a year ago.

At least “218 hardcore terrorists” were also killed and 347 officers and soldiers lost their lives in the ongoing operation, according to the military.

Two intelligence officials, who declined to be identified, as they are not authorized to speak on the record, said the latest air strikes killed the militants in the Zoinari area of North Waziristan.

“We got information that local and foreign fighters were hiding in this area,” said one of the officials. “Strikes were launched and 10 militants were killed. Three hideouts were also completely destroyed.”

The hard-line Islamist Taliban’s Pakistani wing used to control all of North Waziristan, a mountainous region that includes the Shawal Valley and runs along the Afghan border. But the Pakistani military has recaptured most of it, in an operation launched last June.

NATO forces had long urged Pakistan for such an offensive, saying Taliban safe havens in Pakistan were being used to attack NATO and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

Since last month, the military has stepped up operations in Shawal Valley, where the Taliban still operates freely.