AFP, ISLAMABAD: Pakistan air strikes killed 43 suspected militants near the Afghan border yesterday, the military said, part of a major ongoing operation against Taliban and other insurgents. The attacks took place in  Gharlamai and Shawal areas of North Waziristan tribal region, where the army has been waging a major offensive to clear militant hideouts since June last year. “Twenty-eight terrorists were killed in Gharlamai area and another 15 were killed in Shawal in precise aerial strikes,” the military said in a statement. The conflict zone is remote and off-limits to journalists, making it difficult to verify the army’s claims, including the number and identity of those killed. Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency for over a decade following the late 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.