The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Islamabad

Security forces backed by helicopter gunships and heavy artillery struck suspected militant hide-outs in northwest Pakistan, killing 32 people, including three women, an official said Monday.

The attack Sunday came in the latest round of a bloody military offensive that has reportedly killed hundreds of people in recent weeks in the Bajur tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

Bajur is a suspected hide-out of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and one of the regions the U.S. fears is a safe haven for al-Qaida and Taliban fighters involved in attacks in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani military operation in Bajur comes amid tension with the U.S. over whether the Muslim nation is doing enough to root out insurgents from its territory and whether the U.S. should pursue its own unilateral strikes there.

Senior government official Iqbal Khattak said most of the dead Sunday were alleged militants but at least three were women. The information is difficult to confirm independently because of the region's remote and dangerous nature.

Security forces have used helicopter gunships, fighter jets and heavy artillery to attack suspected militant positions in various areas in Bajur, Khattak said.

In a statement late Sunday the military said ground forces had secured "areas up to Khazana and Nasirabad" and were advancing toward Loi Sam, a key focus of the operation.

The government said late last month that it would cease military operations in Bajur for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but reserved the right to retaliate against insurgent activities. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said factors including persistent militant mortar attacks and threats to pro-government tribes prompted the military to restart its operation.

"It may take long, but this issue has to be resolved once and for all," Abbas said. "It may take a long time. We cannot just hand over this area to the Taliban." A series of suspected U.S. missile strikes and an American-led ground assault in Pakistani territory in the northwest in recent days have prompted official protests from Pakistan's military and government.

Although Pakistan has vowed to defend its territorial integrity and publicly denounced U.S. incursions, top officials have indicated they would prefer to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to discuss the incursions with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown this week.

Meanwhile, Firing by Pakistani troops forced U.S. military helicopters to turn back to Afghanistan after they crossed into Pakistani territory in the early hours of Monday, Pakistani security officials said.

The incident took place near Angor Adda, a village in the tribal region of South Waziristan where U.S. commandos had carried out a heli-borne raid earlier this month. At least 20 people, including women and children, were killed, sparking outrage in Pakistan, and prompting a diplomatic protest.

Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani said in a strongly worded statement last week that Pakistan would not allow foreign troops onto its soil and Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be defended at all cost.