Local Pakistani officials and residents say more than 100 people have been killed in three days of fighting in the northwestern tribal region of Waziristan.
Clashes between Uzbek militants and local tribesmen erupted on Monday near Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, near the border with Afghanistan. Most of the dead are said to be Uzbek militants linked to the al-Qaida terrorist network.
Violence continued Wednesday with an exchange of mortar fire between Uzbek fighters and the tribesmen, who support the Pakistani government's efforts to clear the area of extremists.
Elsewhere, unidentified gunmen killed at least five members of the Pakistani security forces Wednesday traveling in a convoy in Pakistan's Balochistan province, near the Afghan border.
It is not clear who was behind the rocket attack. But a military spokesman says it suspects drug smugglers who are active in the region.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
