Major-General Waheed Arshad said the gunships pounded two militant hideouts for several hours near Mir Ali town in the North Waziristan tribal region.

'We have credible information that the two compounds have been destroyed and 15 miscreants, including 10 Uzbeks, have been killed in the strike,' he said.

Many radical Islamists from Uzbekistan have taken refuge in the Pakistani tribal lands and forged ties with Al-Qaeda in the past decade.

The military spokesman said militants were not only attacking security forces from the compounds but also making bombs there.

Intelligence officials said two women and two children also died in the strike.

In neighbouring South Waziristan, tribal elders and clerics were making efforts to secure the release of 16 paramilitary soldiers abducted on Aug 9.

REUTERS