Nine militants were killed on Saturday after gunship helicopters pounded their hideouts in Northwest Pakistan’s Hangu Tal tehsil, DawnNews reported.Officials said that the military launched the attack after confirming reports about the presence of militants in Tal.According to official sources, gunship helicopters shelled suspected militants’ positions in Tora Wari and Dar Samand areas of Tal, following which nine militants were killed whereas several hideouts were destroyed.Sources added that gunships continued to hover after the shelling whereas panic spread in the area.Hangu borders the northwestern tribal region of Orakzai, one of Pakistan’s seven lawless districts on the Afghan border considered to be the hub of Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants.Earlier this week, at least 35 militants were killed as fighter jets targeted suspected insurgent hideouts in three different tehsils of the North Waziristan tribal region.