PARACHINAR, Feb 1: Military planes bombed suspected militant positions in Kurram and Orakzai agencies on Wednesday and officials claimed that 38 militants were killed and several others wounded.

According to the officials, Taliban Commander Maulvi Moeenuddin and six foreigners were among the dead. The claim could not be verified from independent sources in the area.

The planes bombed hideouts in the Jogi area of central Kurram, adjacent to Orakzai and Khyber agencies.

Some sources put the number of militants dead at 18.

Security forces had clashed with militants in Jogi on Tuesday. Officials said that 35 militants and eight security personnel were killed in the clash and over a dozen soldiers suffered injuries.

Aircraft and helicopters also struck several hideouts in Shekhano, Derund, Saifel Dara and Samana areas of Orakzai Agency.

The sources said that two main hideouts of Mullah Toofan and Maulvi Moeen were destroyed.

Reuters adds: Wednesday’s air strikes were in response to a Taliban attack on a security post that killed 10 soldiers and wounded 32 others, security officials said.

Jets bombed two militant positions in the Jogi area of the Kurram tribal region, killing 12 Taliban militants and six Uzbeks.

The jets then hit more militant positions in the nearby Mamozai area in the Orakzai tribal region, killing 20 militants and two senior commanders, officials added.

“Local TTP commanders Mullah Toofan and Maulvi Moeenuddin’s hideouts were targeted and destroyed,” a local military official told Reuters, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. “We have reports of 20 militants killed, including Moeenuddin.”

A TTP spokesman said the two commanders were alive.

Some government officials and local tribesmen insisted the militants were killed by missiles fired from remotely piloted US drones, but the Pakistani military denied this.

“Our own fighter jets pounded four of their main training centres in Mamozai,” a senior Pakistan army official in Orakzai said.