ISLAMABAD - MORE than 30,000 Pakistani soldiers launched a much-awaited ground offensive in Al-Qaeda and Taleban stronghold along the Afghan border early Saturday, officials told The Associated Press - the nuclear-armed US ally's toughest test yet against militants aiming to topple the state.

The offensive in South Waziristan follows months of airstrikes intended to soften up militant defenses that have also forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee. 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.