ORAKZAI: Pakistani forces used artillery to pound militant hideouts in the Orakzai tribal region, killing six suspected insurgents, security officials said.

There is no independent verification of the casualties, and militants often dispute official accounts.

Orakzai is one of the most lawless areas in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region, which is made up of seven districts near the Afghan border.

Security forces launched a major operation in the agency in March last year after militants fled a sweeping offensive in the nearby tribal district of South Waziristan.