Media reports said Abu Rehman, an Uzbek militant group leader who is believed to be the mastermind of the last Sunday attack on Karachi airport, was also killed in the operation.
The operation started at about 2:30 a.m. local time on Sunday morning when the army F-16 fighter jets launched a massive air strike at eight hideouts of Uzbek militants in the Boya and Datta Khel Tehsil areas of North Waziristan, said the reports.
Late on Saturday, prior to the operation, the Pakistani army has reportedly issued an ultimatum to the foreign militants dwelling in North Waziristan, a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan, demanding them either to leave the area or give up arms.
Sunday mornings air strike is seen as a retaliation for the deadly attack on Karachi airport last Sunday night, which left 40 people including all 10 attackers killed and over 20 others injured.
Both Pakistan Taliban and an al-Qaida-linked Uzbek militant group have claimed the responsibility for the Karachi attack.
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Editor: Ella Syafputri
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