Pak Army in Waziristan

Pakistan launched a much-awaited ground offensive in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan in the toughest test yet in its struggle against militants aiming to topple the state.

The ground offensive comes on the heels of months of airstrikes that have softened up militant defences and spurred tens of thousands of civilians to flee the region along the Afghan border.

The full-scale operation also comes after two weeks of militant attacks that have killed more than 175 people and ramped up the pressure on the army to take on the insurgents.

With winter snows weeks away, the army has limited time to pursue a major ground attack.

The US, which has long pressured Pakistan to eliminate militants who use its soil to plan attacks on American and NATO troops across the border in Afghanistan, has raced to send in night vision goggles and other equipment to aid the effort.

Intelligence and army officials gave few details of the operation but said the troops were targeting the  militants hiding in various parts of the remote, mountainous region.

The army has tried three times since 2001 to dislodge Taliban fighters from South Waziristan. All three previous attempts ended in negotiated truces that left the Taliban in control.

This time the military said there will be no deals, partly to avoid jeopardising gains won earlier this year when Pakistan soldiers overpowered the Taliban in the Swat Valley, another northwest region.

South Waziristan is a major worry for the US not only because of concerns for the faltering American war effort in Afghanistan but also because it is considered a base from which to launch attacks across the world.