Pakistan army attacks rebel hide-outs, no casualties

Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, Saturday, AP - Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gun-ships attacked three suspected militant hide-outs near the Afghan border today, just days after battles in the region killed at least 11 soldiers, officials said. Troops engaged militants early Saturday in the troubled tribal region of South Waziristan in Pakistan's northwest, said an area official.

He said soldiers and helicopter gunships destroyed three militant hide-outs, but it was not immediately clear how many rebels were in the area and if there were any casualties. Pakistani forces have been facing tough resistance in South Waziristan since Thursday when dozens of militants attacked military convoys, killing at least 11 soldiers, according to local security officials. The ensuing battles left 15 militants dead, the official said.

Pakistani tribal regions have witnessed a surge in violence since July, when militants ended a 2006 peace deal after accusing the government of violating the accord by deploying additional troops at checkpoints. Pakistan is a key ally of the United States in its war on terror and it has deployed about 90,000 troops near Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the US, to track down militants. But US and Afghan officials say al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters still have safe havens in Pakistani territories.