Scores Of Militants Killed In Pakistan's Tribal Region

The army said in a statement that 150 militants and 45 Pakistani soldiers had died in the fighting.

The fighting broke out when militants attacked security posts on October 7 and Pakistani forces retaliated with air strikes and ground assaults.

Villagers in North Waziristan are quoted as saying there were also civilian casualties during the clashes, but the military was unable to confirm those reports.

Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants fled to Pakistan's mountainous tribal areas after being driven out of Afghanistan in the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

(AFP, Reuters,dpa)