Pakistan says the South Waziristan area is a haven for militants

At least 30 militants have been killed in Pakistani air strike near the Afghan border, the military says.

It says a militant "hideout" was hit in the Shawal mountains of South Waziristan, following a tip-off.

The army launched an offensive in South Waziristan last October to root out militants blamed for bombings.

The offensive was closely monitored by Pakistan's Nato allies in Afghanistan, who say the area is a haven for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

Pakistan's government said the operation had been completed in December, but fighting in the area has continued.

"The hideout in Shawal was targeted after we were tipped off that terrorists were hiding in the mountains," said a military spokesman.

The strike came 10 days after Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's top Afghan military commander, was captured in Karachi.