Pakistan army says airstrikes kill 21 'terrorists' in tribal region near Afghan border

ISLAMABAD –  Pakistan says airstrikes have killed 21 "terrorists" in a northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border.

In a statement Thursday, the military said the overnight strikes were carried out by Pakistani warplanes in the villages of Tirah and Rajgal in the Khyber region.

The military provided no further details about Wednesday's strikes, and the information could not be corroborated as journalists are barred from tribal areas. Pakistan has been waging a military offensive against al-Qaida and other militants in the North Waziristan province bordering Afghanistan since June 2014.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is currently visiting the United States and will meet with President Barack Obama later on Thursday