Clashes kill 11 Pakistan soldiers

Eleven Pakistani soldiers have died in fighting with militants in the past two days in the North Waziristan region, the interior minister has said.

The minister, Aftab Sherpao, told the BBC Urdu service the clashes were continuing and the militants might have suffered up to 30 casualties.

The fighting has been taking place near Miranshah, the area's main town.

Thousands of troops have been deployed to tackle militants in the Afghan border region in the past two years.

'No high-value target'

Mr Sherpao said six soldiers were killed on Thursday and five on Friday, including a major.

The BBC's Rahimullah Yusufzai in Peshawar says there are reports that another 20 soldiers have gone missing in the Khattay Killay area.

Official sources told our correspondent the army was targeting religious leader, Maulana Sadiq Noor, who it alleges is harbouring militants

Brig Shahjahan Ali Khan told the Associated Press news agency the army had launched an operation on Thursday after information that militants were in the area.

Troops backed by Cobra helicopter gunships pounded villages, forcing hundreds of villagers to evacuate.

Another top army official said the fighting in North Waziristan, about 400km (250 miles) south-west of the capital Islamabad, was very intense.

"There was heavy resistance from the other side," Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan said.

"There were no reports of any high-value target," he added.

"Our troops have surrounded them, and the operation will continue until they are killed or captured."

Many al-Qaeda and Taleban militants are believed to have slipped into Pakistan after the US forces entered Afghanistan in 2001.