Pakistan troops killed in attacks

The Pakistani army says it controls most of South Waziristan

At least 10 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in two separate attacks in the north-west of country close to the Afghan border, the military says.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks in Mohmand region, in which two soldiers were also injured. Up to 10 others are still unaccounted for.

Troops are continuing an assault against the Taliban in the mountainous South Waziristan tribal area.

The army says that it is now in control of 80% of the area.

Helicopter attack

Military spokesman Maj Fazal ur-Rehman told the AFP news agency that eight soldiers were killed when they drove over a landmine while on a routine patrol in Mohmand.

Pakistan's unseen offensive

Two others were injured, he said. The attack happened on the outskirts of the town of Safi.

Earlier, officials said military helicopters had attacked Taliban hideouts in the Mohmand region, killing 10 suspected militants. There is no independent confirmation of the claim.

That operation followed an attack on a security checkpoint, in which two soldiers were killed and another 10 soldiers reported missing.

Mohmand district has seen sporadic clashes between militants and security forces in recent months.

The BBC's Shoaib Syed Hasan in Islamabad says military casualties have been relatively low in the South Waziristan offensive, so the deaths in Mohmand will be a major setback for the army.

Meanwhile, a three-day general strike is being held in the town of Charsadda, 20km (12 miles) north-east of Peshawar, following a bombing on Tuesday which killed at least 32 people.

Officials now say the attack, which injured 70 others, was probably aimed at the head of police in the district.

More than 300 people have been killed in a wave of attacks as the South Waziristan offensive continues.

Our correspondent says that ordinary citizens are increasingly being targeted in bomb attacks. Analysts believe this is because the militants are cornered and under great army pressure in South Waziristan.

Officials insist they are determined to complete the offensive.