Pakistani security forces say they have attacked a militants' camp near the border with Afghanistan, killing around 40 foreign fighters and tribal militants.
They say the dead include a Chechen commander linked to al-Qaida, who was killed while trying to escape the raid in the semi-autonomous North Waziristan tribal region. The troops destroyed a large quantity of arms and explosives. One soldier also died and at least 12 were wounded in the operation.
A Pakistani official says ground troops and helicopter gunships began the assault early Wednesday as militants were returning from a raid inside Afghanistan.
A military spokesman, Major-General Shaukat Sultan says intelligence indicated the presence of a large number of foreign terrorists.
Witnesses say the Pakistani forces' fire hit civilian homes, but there was no independent verification of the claim.