ISLAMABAD (TIP): At least 34 militants were killed on March 18 when fighter jets pounded their positions in the restive northwestern tribal region, the Pakistani military said.

Pakistan intensified operations against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants after the grisly Peshawar school attack in December in which at least 136 students were killed.

The army said in a statement that precise aerial strikes were launched against militants in the remote Tirah valley area of Khyber tribal region which borders Peshawar. It said that “34 terrorists were killed” in the attacks.

The toll could not be confirmed through independent sources as the region is out of bounds for the media.

The Taliban have so far not commented on the attack.

The Pakistan army claims that it killed more than 1,700 militants since launch of operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan in June.

But the Taliban are far from defeated as they attacked two Christian churches on Sunday near Lahore, killing at least 15 people.