Islamabad, Dec 20 (IANS): At least 21 militants were killed when the Pakistani army launched an air raid against suspected militants in the country's northwest tribal area of Khyber Agency Saturday, the military said.

Inter-Services Public Relations, the mouthpiece of the Pakistani army, said in a statement that troops backed by jet fighters pounded seven militant hideouts in Tirah Valley area of Khyber Agency, a restive tribal area at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Xinhua reported.

The identities of the killed militants have not been determined yet, but local media said that the jets targeted militants belonging to banned outfits Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Saturday's airstrike is in continuation of the Pakistani Army's operation "Khyber-1" that started earlier in October to flush out LI and TTP-linked militants from the Khyber Agency.

The country's Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif visited Khyber Agency Saturday and reviewed the progress of the operation.

During a briefing, General Sharif was informed that in the last three days, 62 militants have been killed in ground action and 57 in aerial strikes.

The army chief reiterated that the military would continue the operation till the elimination of the last militant.