Pakistan ? Pakistani soldiers backed by helicopter gunships targeted a suspected militant hideout in Pakistan’s volatile tribal region near the Afghan border and killed about 30 militants, a sign of continuing tension in the region, an Army spokesman said today.

Gen. Shaulat Sultan said the attack was launched late Friday near Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan and the scene of repeated clashes between security forces and militants in the past week.

He said the attack was launched using “authentic intelligence, and according to our information about 30 miscreants, who included foreigners, were killed.”