**Pakistani soldiers have raided Taliban hideouts near the Afghan border and killed at least 12 militants, according to local officials.**They say soldiers in the Orakzai region of Pakistan’s restive tribal areas were backed by helicopters, as the military tries to flush out the Taliban.
The raids come a day after officials said 40 militants died in airstrikes.
The government does not allow journalists into the conflict zone and their figures cannot be verified.
The BBC’s Rifatullah Orakzai in Peshawar says officials claim 250 militants have been killed since the operation in Orakzai and neighbouring Khyber regions began last month.
But our reporter says local people dismiss the official figures and say the true death toll is much lower.
And Taliban leaders claim that the army often kills civilians in its attacks.
Reports say thousands of civilians have left their homes in Orakzai to flee the fighting, which has spread from other regions such as South Waziristan.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.