PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces raided three hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border in the past two days, triggering fierce clashes that killed 19 soldiers and 45 militants, the military said Saturday.

The death toll underscores the struggles that Pakistan faces as it tries to rein in resurging militant groups. The military said that 22 militants were killed in the first raid in Bajaur, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Thirteen more militants were killed in a separate operation in South Waziristan district, the military said. The statement said that the 12 soldiers, “having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom” in South Waziristan.

In a separate statement, the military said a third intelligence-

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