Pakistani forces backed by helicopter gunships attacked a militant hideout in a major al-Qaeda and Taliban sanctuary on the Afghan border today, killing two militants, officials said.
The attack in North Waziristan coincided with a visit by US defence secretary Robert Gates aimed at persuading Pakistan to expand its military campaign against Afghan militants in lawless ethnic Pashtun lands who cross the border to fight US troops.
Residents said authorities had imposed a curfew as security forces attacked the militants on the outskirts of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan.
Pakistan's army launched an offensive in neighbouring South Waziristan in October against al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban attacking the state but has it resisted US pressure to expand its campaign to Afghan Taliban factions.
North Waziristan is a stronghold of Afghan Taliban and their al-Qaeda allies.
Despite the US pressure to tackle the factions in North Waziristan and elsewhere, the military ruled out yesterday any new offensive for up to a year, saying it had to consolidate its gains in South Waziristan.
But analysts say Pakistan may launch surgical strikes against militants in North Waziristan to deflect US pressure.
Reuters