The Pakistani military on Tuesday conducted an offensive in the troubled Orakzai tribal area, killing 18 suspected militants.

According to Jamil Khan, a local administrator, ground forces backed by helicopter gunships pounded five suspected militant hideouts in the district’s Dabori area.

Atleast 20 others were reported to be wounded in the offensive.

Orakzai is one of the most lawless areas in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region, which is made up of seven districts near the Afghan border.

The area is home to supporters of Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud.

Security forces launched a major operation in the agency in March last year after militants fled a sweeping offensive in the nearby tribal district of South Waziristan.