Pakistan troops hunt al-Qaeda

Pakistan has stepped up military activity in the semi-autonomous regions bordering Afghanistan, in an effort to flush out Al-Qaeda and Taleban militants suspected to be hiding there.

It's the largest such operation in the region in fifty years, and follows reports that the United States had criticised Pakistan for not doing enough to find the militants.

But a BBC correspondent in Islamabad says the visiting US assistant secretary of state, Christina Rocca has, publicly at least, praised President Musharraf for his efforts to deal with the situation. Tribesmen in the semi-autonomous regions are described as fiercely independent and resistant to the presence of both foreign and Pakistani troops in the area.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service