Islamabad, Safar 06, 1432, Jan 10, 2011, SPA -- Nine Taliban militants were killed and others injured in artillery shelling by the Pakistani armed forces' raid on insurgent strongholds in the province of Orakzai - the tribal belt of Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan. Military sources explained that the armed forces also destroyed three rebel strongholds in operations, which focused on areas of Mamozai, Khadi Zaee in the northern part of the province. The Pakistani armed forces launched a military operation in Orakzai province for several months to eliminate the presence of the Taliban, where they are pounding insurgent positions from time to time to dismantle the strongholds. --SPA 14:44 LOCAL TIME 11:44 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/854222