3 troops, 34 militants killed in north west Pakistan's army operation

 At least three soldiers and 34 militants were killed in two separate armed offensives by Pakistani military in the country's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan on Sunday.
Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the mouthpiece of Pakistani army, said in a statement that three troops including an officer had been killed and four others injured during a shoot out with militants in Datta Khel town of North Waziristan, a militant insurgent tribal area at Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The troops were conducting a search operation in the area when the exchange of firing took place during which seven militants were also gunned down by the forces.
In a separate incident, 27 militants were killed when army jets pounded hideouts of suspected militants in the town.
The ISPR said the killed insurgents included both local and foreign militants.
The recent strikes are a continuation of the Pakistani army's ongoing clean-up operation "Zarb-e-Azb" against suspected militants in North Waziristan which was believed to be a strong- hold of militants.
Talking to media on Saturday, "Zarb-e-Azb" Military Operation Commander Major General Zafarullah Khan said the army has so far cleared 90-percent territory of North Waziristan Agency from the militants, since the start of the operation on June 15.
A total of 1,198 terrorists have been killed and 356 injured, while the army lost its 197 personnel in the operation so far, he said.
Zafarullah said the army has recovered some 6,752 rifles, 2,470 sub-machine guns including snipers rifles, 293 machine guns and light machine guns and 111 guns (12.7 mm and 14.5 mm) with lots of ammunition from different areas of the agency.