Pakistan's army says military jets and helicopters have destroyed nine hideouts of militants in two separate airstrikes killing 33 militants in an ongoing offensive in the North Waziristan tribal region. An army statement on Monday says early morning airstrikes near the Datta Khel area destroyed five such hideouts killing 18 militants during the offensive.  Later in the day, helicopter gunships struck four more hideouts in Gharlami area killing another 15 militants, the army said. 

North Waziristan was a safe haven to a mix of local and foreign militant groups until the military launched its operation there in the middle of this year. The military offensive has driven out over 800,000 residents from North Waziristan, where the army says it has cleared 90 percent of the tribal region.