BBC
Pakistani troops, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, have launched an attack on a militant base in North Waziristan, army officials say.
The operation in the Degan area, 27km (17 miles) from the town of Miranshah, began at the crack of dawn.
Fighting is still going on, according to reports, but there is no information yet on any casualties.
North Waziristan, a tribal region that borders Afghanistan, is seen as a safe haven for the Taleban and al-Qaeda.
The security forces targeted the militant compound in Degan, the main town in North Waziristan, after receiving "credible intelligence that miscreants were present there", Maj Gen Waheed Arshad was quoted as saying by Associated Press news agency.
Witnesses in the Degan area told Reuters news agency that helicopters destroyed three houses. They said the army was using mortars and artillery too.
A Reuters reporter in Miranshah said he had seen eight helicopter gunships heading in the direction of Degan.
Violence has escalated in Pakistan and more than 200 people have been killed since troops stormed the radical Red Mosque in Islamabad in July.
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