Pakistan ? Pakistani fighter jets destroyed two suspected militant hide-outs near the Afghan border, killing six men believed to be associates of top local Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, intelligence officials said today.

The strikes in South Waziristan flattened the hide-outs of Mehsud’s associates in two villages late Tuesday, two intelligence officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media.

It was not possible to independently confirm the strikes or casualty figures in the remote area, where access for journalists is restricted.

Mehsud is accused of killing Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and launching dozens of bomb and suicide attacks against security forces and civilians in the country.

The air force and military have carried out several similar strikes against Mehsud and his men in the past two months. Although the military has said it will launch a major operation against Mehsud and his network, no formal announcement has been made about the start of such an offensive.